Premier League news: Man Utd stun Arsenal in five-goal thriller at the Emirates to reignite title race
Manchester United stunned Arsenal with a statement 3-2 win on Sunday, snatching all three points in a pulsating Premier League clash at the Emirates.
In a game that swung wildly from end to end, United showed ruthless edge at the decisive moments to outlast Mikel Arteta’s title contenders and send a jolt through the table.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Robert Bore relives another cracking Michael Carrick result.
Derby demolition gives United momentum
I did no prep for this game.
I was basking.
Soaking up the vibes of the Manchester demolition derby.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer, or whatever the phrase is, but it did make for a nice week.
I didn’t really want to think about a trip to the Emirates, to be honest.
I even closed my eyes as I passed it twice on the train after working from the nation’s capital in the run-up.
Leave me in my happy bubble, please.
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Arsenal start strong in London
It was blindingly obvious after the opening few minutes why Arsenal are champions-elect and why I was right to be concerned – coming forward in organised waves, Martin Ødegaard the catalyst with the ball at feet.
And their centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel had obviously been as impressed with Bruno Fernandes against City as I and anyone with eyes had been as they looked to step onto the United skipper and deny him the space he enjoyed a week ago.
As such, the hosts started strongly and with the majority of possession.
It felt ominous, especially when they won their first corner and the calamity button purred quietly next to me, but United half-cleared and Leandro Trossard blazed the loose ball over.
This was going to be a ‘United on the break’ day, I guessed.
It took 13 minutes for the visitors to string more than a couple of passes together but it ended with Fernandes dithering on the ball and the hosts broke, Lisandro Martínez with a good read to block Declan Rice’s effort.
Fernandes was going to have to have a rethink as Carrick’s men had yet to complete a pass in the opposition half.
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Hosts take a deserved lead
The hosts should have opened the scoring when Rice curled over a free-kick that met the head of Martín Zubimendi, but his effort had a little of its sting taken off after clipping Casemiro’s bonce and Senne Lammens reacted instinctively to push the ball over his crossbar.
United eventually had a bit more ball midway through the first half, Kobbie Mainoo and Martínez seeing speculative efforts blocked, but the visitors looked to have settled down a touch.
It was all a little bit flat, which I wasn’t complaining about too much.
Until I was.
It looked like an own goal and was as unpalatable as United’s yellow socks.
Dorgu’s clearing header at the far post didn’t go far enough, allowing Bukayo Saka to recycle it back to Ødegaard who, to be fair, mis-hit a shot that went in off Martínez’s standing ankle under pressure from Jurrien Timber.
It was as harsh as it was fortuitous. Not good, not good at all. Arsenal don’t let leads slip.
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Mbeumo strikes for Red Devils
Fernandes should have done better after being teed up by Mbeumo who had, as he does, ran in behind but his strike was poor and wide.
He had an even better chance moments later, Saliba misreading the ball and the Portuguese was in behind, but possibly a little nick off the Frenchman’s toe was enough to thwart a proper strike.
Then, lo and behold, United levelled.
Zubimendi and Saliba got into a mess trying to be cool at the back, the Spaniard eventually fluffing a pass back to David Raya and Mbeumo was onto it, keeping his composure to round the keeper and finish.
What a signing he has been. Bald is beautiful!
It took 40 minutes for Diogo Dalot to do something stupid, giving away a needless free-kick on his flank that Rice whizzed across but Lammens took confidently.
United did look decent again, though, not derby decent by any stretch but a threat, although the sight of Mbeumo scrambling back as last man from a counter-attack and visibly confused as to what to do next was amusing once the ball was safe.
Bruno was having a bit of an off one, misplacing more than he placed, but he did pick out Mbeumo who tried to delicately volley over Raya from the edge of the box and wasn’t that far away before the referee parped his whistle to signal the break.
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Dorgu grabs a special goal
No changes at the break but United came out positively, with Arsenal seemingly happy to sit off.
They paid the price and it was remarkable.
Fernandes and Dorgu played through the Arsenal midfield basically on their own with neat one-twos before the young Dane waited for the right bounce and smashed the ball with his left foot, angling it away into the top corner off the crossbar.
It was a special finish. Carrick stood arms aloft in his technical area. The away end went into raptures.
Arsenal had work to do and Mikel Arteta went big with four changes – Ben White, Mikel Merino, Viktor Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze drafted in to save the day, skipper Ødegaard one of those making way.
It was a massive compliment to United as the teams resumed hostilities just before the hour. This was now a real test, for both sides.
Rice was the first booking after a late nibble on Fernandes, and he then put one over the top from the edge of the box after more good work from Saka.
Carrick gave Mbeumo a well-earned rest, Matheus Cunha thrown into the fray, while Arteta pointed to his watch as Lammens turned sloth-like with a goal kick.
We were into the final 20 minutes.
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Gunners draw level through Merino
Merino screamed for handball after Harry Maguire fell onto it, replays suggesting Merino might be a good candidate for the North London Boys’ Choir judging by the little squeak he pipped.
The minutes were ticking by and the changes hadn’t done much so Arteta went again, Noni Madueke on for Trossard and Saka sent to the opposite flank, but United still looked relatively comfortable.
Dorgu went down holding his hamstring and was replaced by Benjamin Šeško, presumably to be a tall nuisance at the business end.
His first input was to get smashed in the face by Fernandes as United attempted to break again, his face bearing the ball mark like one of those old dimpled mitres that would temporarily scar you in winter.
Saka almost caught Lammens off guard at his near post but the keeper pushed the ball away for a corner – and from that centre, the Gunners levelled.
Another in-swinger into a manic six-yard box fell kindly to Merino to tap home, despite Šeško’s best efforts on the line, with poor Lammens crowded out as this time he failed to connect and clear.
Would that be the turning point for Arsenal?
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Cunha sends visitors into raptures
As it happens, not this time.
The only thing turning would be the United number 10 – Cunha – as he turned away to celebrate another stunner.
United did well again in the midfield, Šeško, Fernandes and Mainoo combining before the Brazilian touch-spun goalwards, took another touch out of his feet and then curled a ball so delicious that if it had been listed on a two-star Michelin menu you’d have had seconds.
Ha-Cunha Matata!
The Arsenal players looked stunned. The home fans were stony-faced and the away end self-combusted again.
Carrick threw on Noussair Mazraoui, back from AFCON disappointment, before another corner caused panic, Lammens this time able to climb above a melee of bodies, but there was still hope in an added seven minutes raised by the fourth official.
Bruno went for it from halfway after another loose ball but didn’t connect properly and the hosts ran out of time.
Wow! Just wow!
There’s no other word for it.
Twelve days after Ruben Amorim’s reign came to an end and considering the number of times lines had been fluffed against teams in the bottom half, United have deservedly seen off Arsenal and Man City in the space of a week.
A statement win against Pep Guardiola backed up with victory at an Arsenal side who had only conceded a handful of times at home and won their last 24 games when going ahead.
Carrick in dreamland, United in fourth and Fulham (h), Spurs (h), West Ham (a) and Everton (a) to come in February.
In the meantime, it’s back to basking and a bit of a hiatus for Bobby Bore as he goes off to celebrate a birthday somewhere warm.
MORE FROM ROBERT BORE: Premier League news: Derby delight for Michael Carrick as Man Utd beat Man City at Old Trafford
