Manchester United handed Arsenal their first home defeat of the Premier League season on Sunday, stunning the Gunners 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium to throw the title race wide open.
The dramatic loss left Arsenal under renewed pressure at the top of the table, while Aston Villa boosted their own title credentials with a convincing 2-0 victory away to Newcastle.
Villa’s win saw Unai Emery’s side move within four points of Arsenal and draw level on points with Manchester City, who also benefited from the Gunners’ setback in north London.
United, under new manager Michael Carrick, continued their fine run of form just a week after overpowering City in the Manchester derby. Matheus Cunha sealed the victory with a superb late strike that silenced the home crowd.
Arsenal had taken the lead through a Lisandro Martinez own goal, but the visitors responded swiftly as Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on a costly error by Martin Zubimendi to restore parity.
Patrick Dorgu then fired United ahead early in the second half as Arsenal struggled to create clear chances from open play.
The Gunners briefly revived hopes of a comeback when Mikel Merino bundled in an equaliser from a corner in the 84th minute, once again relying on set-pieces for inspiration.
However, Cunha delivered the decisive blow moments later, firing in from outside the box to deal a major dent to Arsenal’s bid for a first league title in 22 years.
Victory pushed Manchester United into the Premier League top four, significantly boosting their chances of securing Champions League football next season for the first time in three years.
A frustrated Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, admitted the defeat was a painful one.
“A really painful one,” Arteta said. “But now it is time to stay close to the players and support them. We all want to win.”
United boss Carrick praised his side’s resilience after the match.
“To come here, go behind, come back and still keep pushing shows the character of this team,” he said. “It was a huge moment for us.”
