Report: Arsenal 2 Manchester United 3

Arsenal went ahead through an unlucky Lisandro Martinez own goal before Bryan Mbeumo delivered a perfect response following an error from Martin Zubimendi.

Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu leathered United ahead just after the restart, but there was heart-stopping late drama in store.

Mikel Merino bundled home in the 84th minute but, as Arsenal pushed for a winner that would reinstate their seven-point lead at the top, Matheus Cunha curled home a brilliant finish to ultimately gave our new head coach a second victory in a row, ending the Gunners' unbeaten home record in the process.

FIRST HALF - BRYAN ACCEPTS GIFT TO LEVEL

Non-stop Arsenal pressure had us pinned back in the opening stages, but battles were being won. Casemiro, who announced this week his time at Old Trafford will draw to a close at the end of the season, kept Bukayo Saka in check early on, before Luke Shaw denied his England colleague.

Declan Rice then went on a run and, after a switch with William Saliba, Martinez was called into action to block.

Senne Lammens was next to have his reactions tested, as Rice’s menacing free-kick found Zubimendi. Thankfully the Belgian diverted the header – deflected off Casemiro – behind for a corner.
United were starting to settle and appeared to be stemming the relentless Arsenal flow, but a sucker-punch was around the corner.

Saka plucked a deep cross out of the sky and his centre was bundled home, with Martinez, under pressure from Jurrien Timber, adjudged to have made the final touch.

Carrick’s men refused to be cowed, despite the hosts’ rapid start and ominous record when scoring first this season – 24 wins from 24 games.

First, Bruno Fernandes thrashed wide after Mbeumo’s burst down the left channel. Saliba then made an error, not realising Bruno was behind him, but the defender atoned for his mistake and got a toe to the ball before our skipper could shoot.

They didn’t get away with the next mistake though, Mbeumo pouncing on a Zubimendi lapse as he ceded possession. Our forward didn’t need a second invitation as he kept his cool and slotted home despite pressure from the oncoming David Raya.

The Cameroon international has now scored against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City for the Reds, and this was his 50th Premier League goal in total, with eight of them coming since his summer move.

And he nearly added another just before the break. Dropping his shoulder, our no.19 attempted a lob on the volley from 20 yards out that had Raya scrambling for a split second, but ultimately went wide.

SECOND HALF - WONDER GOALS WIN IT

One derby goalscoring hero got us going, and the other caused pandemonium in the away end five minutes after the break.

Dorgu had a lot to do when he collected a pass from captain Fernandes, but he was up to the task and then some.

Taking the ball down, he hammered an outrageous effort in off the crossbar, thundering his strike into the roof of the net via the turf to send the travelling Reds into dreamland.

Arsenal were rattled, and a quadruple substitution saw Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Merino thrust into the action.

The home support were growing impatient, even though the leaders had been unbeaten in all competitions at the Emirates Stadium this term, suffering just two defeats in all competitions this season at any ground.

Mbeumo was replaced by Cunha and took the applause from the 3,000 travelling supporters and there was a worry when Dorgu hobbled off holding his hamstring, Benjamin Sesko came on to replace him.

They hadn’t been creating many opportunities from open play, but nobody needed reminding of Arsenal’s power from set-pieces.

From a Saka corner, the Gunners made life impossible for Lammens and at the second attempt the ball was forced over the line by Merino, despite Sesko’s best attempts to clear off the line.

A sucker punch? Perhaps on another day, but United still had one of our own to serve up, and, as home fans’ thoughts turned to a winner, Cunha had other ideas.

Running at the Arsenal defence, he whipped his shot from outside the box beyond Raya with incredible power as another stunning twist was delivered - and another three points secured under Carrick.

MATCH DETAILS

Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Hincapie (White 58); Odegaard (Merino 58), Zubimendi (Eze 58), Rice; Saka, Jesus (Gyokeres 58), Trossard (Madueke 75).

Substitutes not used: Arrizabalaga, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Martinelli.

Booked: Rice, Eze.

Goals: Martinez (og) 29, Merino 84.

United: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad (Mazraoui 88). Fernandes. Dorgu (Sesko 81); Mbeumo (Cunha 69).

Substitutes not used: Bayindir, Heaven, Malacia, Yoro, Mount, Ugarte.

Goals: Mbeumo 37, Dorgu 50, Cunha 87.