Manchester United came from behind to beat Arsenal 3-2 in North London, with Michael Carrick earning consecutive Premier League victories at the first attempt.
Bryan Mbeumo’s 37th-minute strike cancelled out an unfortunate Lisandro Martinez own goal, with the Reds ending the opening half on a high after silencing the home support.
An action-packed restart saw Patrick Dorgu deliver one of the finest goals of the season, channelling the attacking intent of a veteran forward well beyond his years.
Mikel Merino levelled late on against the run of play, before Matheus Cunha sealed three points with another memorable effort, beating David Raya from distance within three minutes of the restart.
The result lifts United above Liverpool and Chelsea into fourth place, building on the growing momentum in the North West ahead of the visit of Fulham.
Dorgu and Cunha inspire Manchester United to victory against Arsenal
Say what you will about the endless investment into former mid-table clubs and the inevitable growth that coincides with undocumented spending, but the rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal eclipses all of this.
Having embraced the ideals of Mikel Arteta, the Londoners have assembled a formidable squad with hopes of abolishing a 21-year wait for further Premier League honours.
The hosts entered Sunday’s encounter with a four-point lead at the top of the table. However, Carrick has installed a fresh belief in his outfit, and confidence was high following victory in the Manchester derby.
Buoyed by an expected partisan audience, Arsenal enjoyed ample possession throughout the opening quarter, albeit without fashioning anything meaningful.
Set pieces are an integral facet of Arteta’s machine, typified by Martin Zubimendi’s header from a 30-yard free kick, which brought the best out of Senne Lammens from five yards.
Truthfully, the opening half hour was a dull affair with little to dissect other than the number of passes completed between the sides – it was a contest crying out for a goal.
To the delight of the majority inside the ground, that came via the foot of an unknowing Martinez following a passage of poor defending inside the area.
Encouragingly, heads did not drop, and United responded brightly, levelling proceedings within seven minutes, thanks in large part to a motivated press in the final third.
Bruno Fernandes twice threatened before Mbeumo latched onto a misplaced pass from a usually composed Arsenal backline and calmly slotted home a welcome equaliser – his eighth of the Premier League campaign, and second in as many outings.
The visitors had wrestled control of the tie, and with such, silenced a usually vocal arena.
| First-half statistics via sofascore.com | Arsenal | Manchester United |
| Possession | 56% | 44% |
| Passes | 227 | 183 |
| Total shots | 7 | 6 |
| Big chances | 0 | 1 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 0 | 1 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.56 | 0.43 |
The sight of Carrick and his players emerging well before their rivals added to the growing anxiety inside the ground, with many embracing the prospect of a point.
Dorgu compounded their worries within six minutes with a goal of the season contender, engaging in exquisite interplay with Fernandes before whipping a long-range effort past a helpless Raya.
Arteta had seen enough, cutting an animated and frustrated figure before opting for four substitutes within minutes.
His side had quickly become second best in a contest that many had foolishly pre-determined as a foregone conclusion, typified by chants of applause and jeers greeting every pass from the men in black.
But the Premier League is a fickle beast, and very rarely is a solitary goal enough to seal three points in any fixture contested in England’s top tier.
Inevitably, where there’s a corner kick in London, there’s a way, and Arsenal restored parity following a rugby-like routine, with Merino drafting the final touch after a melee in the six-yard box.
The Gunners thought they had salvaged a point from a torrid evening until Cunha sent them back into their seats with a goal worthy of winning any game.
Utilising the energy of his late introduction (68), the Brazilian delivered a scintillating 30-yard effort into the bottom corner before racing towards the travelling contingent ahead of rampant celebrations.
Not only have Carrick’s Reds ended Arsenal’s 24-game winning run when scoring first, but the North Londoners conceded three for the first time in 121 fixtures.
Maybe, instead of focusing on how this team would fare against the all-conquering United of 2008, Theo Walcott and Co should concentrate on the here and now.
After several missed opportunities throughout a frustrating campaign, the men from Manchester have climbed into the Champions League places ahead of a return to home comforts on Sunday week.
How do you feel about a deserved victory and a stellar performance in London? Let us know in the comments or across our socials.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com.
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