- Gunners lose unbeaten home record
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – It is back-to-back victory for Coach Michael Carrick as his Manchester United side stunned Premier League leaders, Arsenal, winning 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening.
Thanks to Matthew Cunha’s stunner, United’s thrilling late win at the Emirates Stadium has now pushed the Old Trafford men up to fourth place with 38 points, 12 points behind leaders, Arsenal with 50 points.
They are also eight points behind second and third placed sides, Manchester City and Aston Villa, both currently on 46 points.
With Arsenal fans acutely aware that a first Premier League title since 2004 is within their grasp, the Emirates Stadium was a sea of anxiety. Feeling their nearest rivals, City and Villa, on their backs, both having won their matches to cut the lead to only four points, Mikel Arteta’s team were desperate for something here.
On the heels of drawing their previous two league matches 0-0 – against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, the Gunners wanted nothing but outright victory on the day.
Arsenal went ahead through an unlucky Lisandro Martinez own goal before Bryan Mbeumo delivered a perfect response following an error from Martin Zubimendi.
Just after the restart, Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu leathered United ahead with a powerful drive. Taking the ball down from Skipper Bruno Fernandes’ pass, he hammered an outrageous effort in off the crossbar, thundering his strike into the roof of the net to send the travelling Reds into dreamland.
However, nobody needed reminding of Arsenal’s power from set-pieces. A heart-stopping late drama was in store in the 84th minute. From a Saka corner, the Gunners made life impossible for United’s Keeper Lammens and at the second attempt, the ball was forced and bundled over the line by Mikel Merino, despite Benjamin Sesko’s best attempts to clear off the line.
But as the Gunners pushed for a winner that would have reinstated their seven-point lead at the top, substitute Matheus Cunha had other ideas.
Running at the Arsenal defence, the Brazilian forward whipped his shot from outside the box beyond Keeper Raya with incredible power as another stunning twist was delivered, ultimately ending the Gunners’ unbeaten home record in the process.
With two consecutive victories in a row, new head Coach Carrick has now beaten the first and second placed teams in the Premier League within just two weeks of taking over duties at the Theatre of Dreams
