Arsenal stunned by clinical Man United finishes as they surrender unbeaten home record

No half measures on the pitch : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Arsenal (1) 2 Martinez og 29, Merino 84

Manchester United (1) 3 Mbeumo 37, Dorgu 50, Cunha 87

Two sensational second-half strikes condemned Arsenal to a first home loss of the campaign to extend their run of off-key results just when they desperately wanted to keep their foot on the gas.

It looked like the Gunners had salvaged a late draw when Mikel Merino prodded home from close range following a corner, but then sub Matheus Cunha rifled in an unstoppable drive from just outside the box to seal a first United win at the Emirates since 2017.

Between a Patrick Dorgu goal at the start of the second half and that third United goal, Arsenal had nearly all the ball but could not make it count enough.

Frustration mounted but the well organised visitors - not encumbered by midweek European games as Arsenal were in Milan - had the energy and determination to inflict a big wound on their old north London adversaries.

Arsenal were unbeaten in their past six league games against United but the Michael Carrick factor was a concern. Would the caretaker boss, who inspired a Manchester derby win last week in his first match in charge, inspire another shock for a title chaser? The answer, alas for Arsenal, was yes.

Arsenal's start was persuasive enough. They controlled and probed - making United shuffle from side to side to plug spaces.

William Saliba's cutback to Declan Rice saw Lisandro Martinez block well and keeper Senne Lemmens made a fine reflex save to keep out a Martin Zubimendi header following a Declan Rice free-kick.

The pressure did not necessarily translate into clear chances but it set the mood and tempo and Bukayo Saka's cutback for Martin Odegaard saw the skipper's sliced shot turned into the net from close range by Martinez under pressure from Jurrien Timber.

The lead was all-too short lived and a self-inflicted error gave United the shot in the arm they were after. Zubimendi's ball back across goal was a disaster and easily picked off by Brian Mbeumo, who had plenty of time to round David Raya and slot home.

The former Bees striker had already served a warning by leading a rapid breakaway that ended in him rolling a pass back for Bruno Fernandes to mishit wide. There was also a sloppy piece of defending which almost gifted a goal for Fernandes, that the United captain again sliced off target.

The nerves which had gripped the Gunners in the last home game against Liverpool seemed to return and soon after the restart, they found themselves trailing as Dorgu picked up possession just outside the box to arrow a shot into the top corner off the crossbar.

Mikel Arteta did not like what he was seeing and made a quadruple substitution before the hour was up but although there was an improvement, it was not enough to knock United off their stride.

So Arsenal's lead at the top of the table is down to four points with another testing away trip to come next week at Leeds. There are worse positions to be in but they know the noises off will suggest the league leaders are starting to wilt. It is up to them to make sure that that particular narrative does not take hold.

Gunners: (4-3-3) Raya - Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie (White 57) - Odegaard (Mwerino 57), Zubimendi (Eze 57), Rice - Saka, Jesus (Gyokeres 57), Trossard (Madueke 75)

United: (4-2-3-1) Lammens - Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw - Casemiro, Mainoo - Diallo (Mazraoui 89), Bruno Bernandes, Dorgu (Sesko 81) - Mbeumo (Cunha 69)