LONDON — Manchester United dealt Arsenal a huge blow in the Premier League title race as Matheus Cunha’s 87th-minute winner gave the visitors a stunning 3-2 win at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners end the day just four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa after losing at home for the first time since May 2024 in a pulsating contest. Fresh from beating City in his first game as interim boss, Michael Carrick has now led United to their first victory at Arsenal since December 2017 with a mature display of counterattacking.
Lisandro Martínez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Jurriën Timber to give Arsenal a 29th-minute lead, but the home side still looked nervous in possession. Martín Zubimendi gifted Bryan Mbeumo the chance to equalize eight minutes later as his wayward pass put the Cameroon international through on goal and he rounded David Raya with a clever finish.
United went in front five minutes after the restart as Patrick Dorgu collected Bruno Fernandes’ pass and struck a fabulous 25-yard effort that crashed in off the underside of Raya’s crossbar. Arsenal thought they had salvaged a point when Mikel Merino bundled the ball over the line following a goalmouth scramble at a Bukayo Saka corner, but substitute Cunha had the last laugh, curling in a fine effort from the edge of the box to give United a famous win. — James Olley
Beating Arsenal puts Man United into title race
Has Carrick worked a miracle by turning Manchester United into title contenders after just two games in charge?
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OK, that might sound ridiculous, but after an incredible 3-2 win against leaders Arsenal at the Emirates, United climbed into fourth position and are now 12 points off top spot. Their fans sang “We’re gonna win the league” after the final whistle.
In any other season, a 12-point gap at this stage of the season would usually rule out the fourth-place team, but this is such an unpredictable campaign that anything is possible. Neither Arsenal nor second-place Manchester City — both beaten by United in the past eight days — are playing like champions right now, and Aston Villa moved to within four points of top spot by beating Newcastle United earlier in the day, having lost at home to Everton last Sunday.
With the three teams ahead of them still facing a busy run of UEFA Champions League and domestic cup fixtures, distractions are in front of each them between now and the end of the season. United? They have only league games to focus on now, so Carrick and his players have 15 games to make their season a success.
Right now, that means securing a top-four finish and Champions League football, but Carrick has turned United into big-game winners, and they have momentum. Next week’s home game against Fulham is the start of a run of very winnable games in February, but those fixtures have tripped United up in recent months.
But the challenge is now there. Can United consolidate top four and then push for the title? It’s unlikely, but the unique circumstances of this season might just play in their favor. — Mark Ogden
Nerves creep into Arsenal’s title challenge
There was a strange atmosphere inside Emirates Stadium all afternoon.
Arsenal have made significant strides in improving the matchday experience and creating an intimidating environment for opposing sides, but the magnitude of the opportunity before them — winning their first Premier League title since 2004 — seemed to inhibit everyone connected to the Gunners on Sunday. Zubimendi made the error that led to Mbeumo’s equalizer, but there were mistakes from several other players, including a surprisingly unsettled William Saliba.
Their game management raises questions about their mentality to see out the title race from here. It follows on from goalless draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, two matches where timidity and caution crept into their play.
Manager Mikel Arteta made a highly unusual quadruple change just before the hour mark, but Arsenal did not find any more fluidity. After being his usual bundle of energy and agitation with the scores level, he was curiously static as Arsenal tried to find a way back.
There is plenty for him to ponder, even if they remain favorites to win the league. — Olley
United look liberated without Amorim
Ruben Amorim’s reputation as one of Europe’s best young coaches took a massive hit during his 14-month reign as United manager. The former Sporting CP coach turned a bad United team into an even worse one, recording the club’s lowest-ever Premier League finish in the process last season.
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If the shine had been taken off Amorim’s reputation prior to his departure earlier this month, though, Carrick’s two games in charge will have sent Amorim ducking for cover. In two games, Carrick has liberated this United team by simply playing a formation they are comfortable with and selecting players in their best positions.
Amorim rarely did either and made a simple job extremely complicated. His inflexible approach ultimately cost him his job.
United look a team transformed under Carrick and his coaching staff, and they are now playing with the confidence and swagger that the club expects of its players.
Amorim will work again after his United experience, but Carrick is not helping him polish his record. — Ogden
Squad depth glossing over Arsenal’s ineffective attack
Arsenal’s attack has not consistently clicked this season.
It seems like a faintly absurd point to raise given they are at the top of the Premier League and the Champions League, but their position in both competitions has been founded on defensive resilience rather than dynamism in attack. And so, when the defense falters, suddenly those issues grow.
This was only the sixth time in 117 home matches that Arsenal have conceded three goals in a league game under Arteta.
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Viktor Gyökeres’ difficulties since arriving from Sporting last summer have been glossed over to some extent, but Arteta’s decision to start Gabriel Jesus here was an acknowledgment that the Sweden international is not yet the man for every big occasion. Jesus, who scored a brace against Internazionale in midweek, had arguably earned his shot, but he was ineffective here and substituted before the hour mark. He had 26 touches but just one shot with an expected goals figure of 0.01. Gyökeres got half an hour at the end but managed just seven touches.
They might still win trophies without a prolific No. 9, such is the strength in depth they possess, but any hopes Jesus could provide a quick solution were dispelled here. — Olley
Dorgu’s fortunes change dramatically under Carrick
Dorgu is approaching the first anniversary of his £25 million move to Manchester United from Lecce, and for the majority of his time at Old Trafford, the 21-year-old has looked out of his depth. The Denmark winger almost personified Amorim’s dismal 14-month reign as manager due to his inability to impress in a red shirt.
Dorgu failed to score in any of his first 26 league games for United, and his confidence seemed shattered by the time Amorim left the club earlier this month. But his stunning long-range strike at the Emirates, which put United up 2-1, was his third goal in his past six league games and came hot on the heels of his goal in last week’s 2-0 win against Manchester City.
Confidence is a huge thing for any soccer player, and Dorgu is showing how much a little patience and TLC from a manager can change one’s fortunes.
He limped out of this game with what seemed to be a muscle injury in the final stages, so United will be hoping it is nothing that will keep Dorgu sidelined. A month ago, nobody at Old Trafford would have cared if Dorgu was unavailable. — Ogden
