Manchester United walked into the Emirates as underdogs and walked out as the main characters. The 3–2 win over Arsenal marked a major moment in the Premier League. For the first time since 2005, the Red Devils came from behind to beat the Gunners in London. On top of that, they snapped the league leaders’ home unbeaten run, climbed into fourth place with 38 points, and tightened the title race, now with just four points separating Arsenal, Manchester City, and Aston Villa.
With City and Villa already winning earlier in the weekend, all the pressure was on north London’s red side. And it showed.
Arsenal looked far too comfortable, but United were hungry
Lisandro Martínez’s own goal seemed to confirm the familiar script at the Emirates. Up to that point, Mikel Arteta’s team had won all 24 matches this season when they scored first. But United decided to rip up the stat sheet.
Bryan Mbeumo leveled things after a mistake from Martin Zubimendi and flipped the mood of the game. The Gunners felt it. Early in the second half, Patrick Dorgu smashed a shot, the ball kissed the crossbar and went in. Complete turnaround, right in the window when Arsenal usually take control.
Arteta tried to respond with changes, and for a few minutes, it worked. Mikel Merino came off the bench to make it 2–2 late on. The Emirates exhaled. A draw felt inevitable, especially against a side that hadn’t scored three away goals against the league leaders since 2018.
But soccer doesn’t care about history. Matheus Cunha stepped up from outside the box and unleashed a powerful, unstoppable strike. One of those goals that drains the noise out of an entire stadium. Beyond sealing the three points, the Brazilian ended a wild streak: Arsenal had gone 83 Premier League games without conceding more than twice.
Carrick keeps his feet on the ground, but United have already changed their posture
It’s only been two weeks on the job, yet Michael Carrick has already stacked wins over Manchester City and Arsenal. Asked about the moment, he didn’t hide his pride: “Yes, it was a tough game for us today… we’ve only been together for less than two weeks… but the way the players behaved, their belief, their confidence and spirit, all of that made me really proud today.”
Carrick also touched on the emotional lift these results bring: “These are the best wins to get that feeling, that emotion, to build confidence and that extra motivation.” And he made his short-term focus clear: “From our perspective, it’s just about moving forward and focusing on the next game.”
United now sit fourth, having jumped past Chelsea and Liverpool, and they’re back among the Premier League’s upper tier. Arsenal remain on top, but watched their fortress fall and their cushion shrink. For Red Devils fans, there’s a growing sense that something is finally coming together, and everyone’s hoping this is the moment the endless crisis truly comes to an end.