Manchester United stunned Arsenal and reopened the Premier League title race with a 3-2 comeback win at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
MORE — Player ratings | Mikel Arteta reaction | Michael Carrick reaction
A Lisandro Martinez own goal was joined on Man United’s side of the ledger by bangers from Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha as the Red Devils backed up their Manchester derby win with a take down of the Premier League leaders
WATCH — Arsenal v Manchester United full match replay
Arsenal have now taken just two points from nine over their last three Premier League outings and see their leads over Man City and Aston Villa shrink to four each.
Man United go fourth with 38 points, 12 behind the Gunners and eight back of Man City and Aston Villa.
Carrick’s carefree Man Utd tax nervy Arsenal
Let’s start here: Manchester United got a couple big saves from Senne Lammens and scored a couple of xG-defying wonder goals. That’s a recipe to beat almost anyone, and if Arsenal want to brush off this result they’d be fair to do so using that logic. But a difference maker on the day was that Manchester United have two things going for them. For one, they have no other competitions on their docket. The Red Devils had the freshness to both counterattack with vigor but also to focus in defending Arsenal’s heavy possession. The second thing? Ruben Amorim’s system may have been working but it was also demanding. United are playing with freedom at the moment — both freedom from the system and freedom from expectations. Arsenal have all the expectations in the world and, at least on Sunday, it looked like they were heavy burdens. Hindsight’s 20/20, but under all of the above this result makes quite a bit of sense, yes?
What’s next?
The Gunners host Kairat Almaty in a (basically) dead rubber Champions League tie on Wednesday before going to Leeds at 10am ET Saturday in the Premier League. Manchester United wait until 9am Sunday for a PL visit from Fulham.
Arsenal vs Manchester United final score: 2-3
Lisandro Martinez o.g. 29', Bryan Mbeumo 37', Patrick Dorgu 50', Mikel Merino 84', Matheus Cunha 87'
Arsenal vs Manchester United live updates — by Nick Mendola
Matheus Cunha goal — Arsenal 2-3 Man United
What are Arsenal doing?!?!? And what a hit from Cunha!
He picks up the ball in midfield and no one can lay a glove to him as he drives toward the arc.
Cunha curls home a gorgeous shot for 3-2.
Mikel Merino goal — Arsenal 2-2 Man United
Off a corner, and this is a scrappy goal but no one in red and white will care much.
Merino had cleverly moved Senne Lammens away from goal, then was point blank to make a desperation poke toward goal that just cleared the goal line.
Man United move
Dorgu looks to have picked up a knock and will be replaced by Benjamin Sesko in the 80th minute.
One last plug
Arteta replaces Trossard with Noni Madueke in the 76th minute.
Man United had replaced Mbeumo with Matheus Cunha a few minutes prior.
Arsenal make four subs
Viktor Gyokeres, Ben White, Eberechi Eze, and Mikel Merino are into the game for Jesus, Hincapie, Odegaard, and Zubimendi in the 58th minute.
Patrick Dorgu goal — Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes has a hopeful side hit pass that gets to Patrick Dorgu.
The right-sided man plucks the ball out of the air and sends it screaming past Raya.
2-1 in the 50th minute!
Halftime — Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United
Thirteen shot attempts between the two sides but just one each on target.
It’s been tight and tense at times, with Man United getting compact near goal when Arsenal’s possession gets close.
Fair for this game to be level. A little surprising that status comes with goals.
Bryan Mbeumo goal — Arsenal 1-1 Man United
Quite an error from Zubimendi, who chops William Saliba’s pass into the path of Mbeumo.
The Cameroon star drives toward David Raya, cuts to his right, and slides the ball into the goal.
Arsenal goal! Arsenal 1-0 Man United
Odegaard shoots on what may be an own goal, and Arsenal lead in the 29th minute.
Bukayo Saka chips a cross and Odegaard swings his leg at it.
The ball is headed for the feet of Jurrien Timber and Lisandro Martinez, en route to goal.
It goes in, and will probably be given to Odegaard or Timber, as the ball was goalbound. For now, it’s a Martinez own goal.
Dangerous Arsenal free kick comes close
Declan Rice sends in a swirling, towering free kick from the right.
Martin Zubimendi gets high to nod it toward goal and it quickly spins off his mark’s hairstyle to further challenge Senne Lammens.
The Man United keeper adjusts well and slaps it over the goal. Quality save.
0-0 now into the 20th minute.
Hosts have the ball and finally make in-roads
Lisandro Martinez makes a brave block on Martin Odegaard in the 15th minute to keep things 0-0.
It’s the first shot attempt we’ve seen from either side, though Arsenal have held 67% of the ball and are showing more impetus with it.
Underway
Man United kick off, going right to left in their black kits with yellow socks.
Arsenal lineup
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Magalhaes, Hincapie, Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Jesus
Manchester United lineup
Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw, Dorgu, Casemiro, Mainoo, Diallo, Fernandes, Mbeumo
Arsenal vs Manchester United preview — by Joe Prince-Wright
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal host Michael Carrick’s Manchester United on Sunday, with the Gunners aiming to keep their title charge on track. But this won’t be easy.
Arsenal won 3-1 at Inter Milan on Tuesday to maintain their 100 percent record in the Champions League as they’re guaranteed a spot in the top two of the table. In the Premier League they have stuttered a little in recent weeks with two 0-0 draws in a row against Liverpool and then Nottingham Forest last weekend. But with Manchester City and Aston Villa both losing last weekend no damage was done.
Carrick got of to the perfect start as Manchester United’s interim boss as they beat Man City 2-0 at home last weekend. That was a comfortable win and United looked very dangerous on the counter and Carrick put together the perfect plan to use the talented forwards at his disposal. He will look to do something very similar against Arsenal this weekend as United are in the top four hunt and all of a sudden look solid defensively and a real danger in attack.
Arsenal team news, focus
Max Dowman remains out while Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie are both recovering from injuries. All of that means that Arteta will likely go with Timber at left back and Ben White at right back again, while up top he has some big decisions to make. After scoring twice against Inter Milan, does Gabriel Jesus start ahead of Viktor Gyokeres? The Swede scored off the bench but this could be the game where Jesus starts and Gyokeres is the impact sub. Arteta has so many options, which is a great thing, but he has to get the right players together to click on the pitch.
Manchester United team news, focus
Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt remain out, while Noussair Mazraoui has returned from AFCON and could feature. It’s very likely Carrick will go with the same starting lineup as the win against City last weekend and he will have had over a week to prepare his team for this tough encounter.
Arsenal vs Manchester United prediction
This feels like another draw. Arsenal are just struggling for a clinical edge against teams who sit deep and United will do that and be dangerous on the break. Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United.
How to watch Arsenal vs Manchester United live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 11:30am ET Sunday (January 25)
Venue: Emirates Stadium — North London
TV Channel: NBCSN
Streaming: Stream live on Peacock
