Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
Substitutes: Kepa, Mosquera, White, Eze, Martinelli, Gyökeres, Madueke, Merino, Lewis-Skelly
Arsenal have lost for the first time at home this season, with Manchester United beating Arsenal 3-2. With Arsenal winless in three in the league, the lead in the Premier League is now 4 points.
Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard were restored to midfield, while Gabriel Jesus started upfront with Viktor Gyökeres dropping to the bench. Piero Hincapié returned from injury to start at left back.
The first half-chance of the evening came on 7 minutes when Trossard got away and fed Rice, who burst into the box but didn’t make clean connection with his shot, which was blocked.
Ødegaard won the ball off of Bruno Fernandes and then found Rice in the middle. Rice powered forward and then played Saliba on the overlap, who looked to feed Rice rather than find Saka in the 6-yard box, but the pass was slightly underhit and Rice’s shot was blocked.
Saka won a free kick. Rice’s delivery went into the 6-yard box, and Zubimendi leapt above Casemiro but his header was straight at Lammens, who parried the header over the bar.
Manchester United began to enjoy a little more possession as the game progressed beyond the opening 20 minutes, but still hadn’t fashioned a real chance.
It was Arsenal, though, who would break the deadlock on 29 minutes. After a patient period of possession, Gabriel passed to Hincapié who burst forward and crossed. Dorgu headed the ball up and Saka took it down. Saka dinked the ball to Ødegaard in the middle, who sidefooted towards goal, where a combination of Jurrien Timber’s swinging foot and Lisandro Martinez’s back heel put the ball past Lammens. 1-0.
Manchester United nearly hti back immediately. Mbuemo was played into space behind Saliba. Gabriel hustled to get across, and he and Saliba held Mbuemo up, who found Fernandes on the edge of the box. He lined up a shot, but shot well wide of Raya’s near post.
Saliba then let Fernandes in behind him as he ran onto Mbuemo’s pass, but recovered to put Fernandes off just as he was about to shoot, with his shot again going wide.
On 36 minutes Raya had to claw the ball away from under his crossbar after Jesus had headed a United corner back towards goal.
A minute later, though, United would equalise. Zubimendi and Saliba exchanged passes, and then Zubimendi’s pass was intercepted by Mbuemo. Mbuemo took the ball around Raya and passed into the net. 1-1.
In stoppage time Gabriel conceded possession and Fernandes, in midfield, played the ball over the top for Mbuemo tried to cleverly dink Raya but the ball floated over the goal.
There were no changes for either side at the break.
Arsenal were immediately on the backfoot, with first Hincapié and then Gabriel needlessly clearing the ball. And Arsenal would pay the price, with Patrick Dorgu putting Manchester United 2-1 on 50 minutes. United played through Arsenal’s midfield and Dorgu rifled a half-volley off the crossbar and in. 1-2.
Dorgu burst through again, but Timber was able to hold him up and Dorgu shot wide from a far angle.
A Saka corner nearly produced an equaliser for Arsenal but United were able to scramble the ball away.
On 57 minutes, Arteta made a quadruple change. Hincapié, Jesus, Ødegaard, and Zubimendi were replaced by White, Gyökeres, Eze, and Merino.
Rice was booked for a late challenge on Fernandes.
Gyökeres knocked the ball down and Eze set up Merino, whose shot was blocked by Maguire’s outstretched arm. As he was falling down, though, there was no penalty.
Manchester United, now the team with the better technical quality enjoyed a long spell of possession before Dorgu was played in behind, with Saliba recovering.
Arsenal’s final change was made on 75 minutes, with Madueke replacing Trossard. Saka moved to the left with Madueke playing on the right.
Saka, on the left, played a good cross for Gyökeres, who headed over the bar.
From a corner, United cleared but Arsenal reset. From the right of the box Saka created some space and shot low, with Lammens parrying the ball behind for a corner, from which Arsenal equalised on 84 minutes. Saka’s delivery was missed by Lammens, United cleared off the goal line, and Merino’s deflected effort trickled over the line before United could clear. 2-2.
Manchester United, though, retook the lead 3 minutes later. Cunha picked the ball up in acres of space in midfield behind Rice. He wasn’t closed down and from the outside of the D he curled a hard shot into the far corner. 2-3.
Seven minutes were added on.
Saliba, trying to pass to Gabriel, gave the ball away to Fernandes who tried shooting over Raya but the shot sailed over.
Dalot was fouled by Gabriel as White crossed, and United killed time from the restart. Rice then gave the ball away when the game restarted, and Raya was forced to kick long. Gyökeres appeared to burst through but shot wide as Lammens advanced, with the referee blowing for a foul, and with that, Arsenal’s hopes were over.