Matheus Cunha’s late winner seals victory for Michael Carrick’s Red Devils
In a breathless clash at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon, the Gunners went ahead through a Lisandro Martinez own goal on 29 minutes.
Bryan Mbeumo levelled on 37 minutes, prior Patrick Dorgu putting the visitors ahead five minutes after the interval.
Gunners boss Mikel Merino made four changes in a quadruple substition just before the hour mark, with Mikel Merino levelling at 2-2 with six minutes remaining.
Just as the home support in the 60,296 crowd were gearing up for a grandstand finish, up popped Matheus Cunha with three minutes remaining to grab all three points for Carrick's side.
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Jesus kept his place up front for Arsenal, after his two-goal San Siro salvo against Inter Milan, with the misfiring Viktor Gyokeres dropping to the bench.
Piero Hincapie returned to make it four changes in total by Arteta, from the team that started at the Stadium Giuseppe Meazza in midweek, with Gabriel, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice also back in the side.
Mikel Merino, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Eberechi Eze and Cristhian Mosquera dropped to the bench, while Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori were still not deemed fit enough to join the matchday squad.
Caretaker boss Michael Carrick kept faith with the side that beat Manchester City last time out, with Bryan Mbeumo again picked ahead of Benjamin Sesko up top.
Matheus Cunha is also the bench, while Kobbie Mainoo keeps his place in midfield alongside Casemiro.
In a lively start in which Arsenal moved, and shielded the ball exceptionally, Bukayo Saka skipped past Patrick Dorgu, only to be brought down by Luke Shaw.
From the subsequent free kick on 17 minutes, Rice’s elegantly floated ball into the box was met firmly by Martin Zubimendi. Senne Lammens was equal to the task in producing an excellent stop. The save was in keeping with a fine season for United’s first choice keeper, after arriving last summer from Royal Antwerp for £22m. Amid the raft of dud purchases, the 23-year-old Belgium has been a canny buy.
Never mind Set Piece FC, that man ‘own goal’ grabbed the Gunners opener to send the home support into raptures, the team’s sixth of the campaign so far. This time it was United’s Martinez, putting through his own net on 29 minutes with Timber lurking after Martin Odegaard’s ball into the area.
A mere eight minutes it was Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United following an awful error along the backline. Mbeumo waltzing around David Raya to fire home after a dreadful square ball by Martin Zubimendi. A sloppy mistake from the midfielder, who has had such an excellent season.
It was the second time in four games Arsenal have given a goal away in that manner following Gabriel's clanger at Bournemouth.
There was worse to come for Arteta’s side five minutes after the break, when Dorgu firesd home from the edge of the area to put the visitors 2-1 ahead.
Arsenal boss Arteta had seen enough, and hooked Hincapie, Jesus, Odegaard and Zubimendi in favour of Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres, Mikel Merino and Eberechie Eze on 58 minutes.
As the clock ticked down Eze tested Semmens, before Merino looked to have gained a point for Arsenal, squeezing the ball into the net to make it 2-2, after a goalmouth scramble with six minutes remaining.
However, that was before United denied a grand finale for the home support when Matheus Cunha scored what was to prove a winner for United, to seal a breathless clash 3-2, on 87 minutes.
