Manchester United

Image source, Getty Images

It's back-to-back wins for Manchester United under Michael Carrick - something Ruben Amorim only managed once during his 14 months at Old Trafford.

Kobbie Mainoo is back in the side, Bruno Fernandes has been pushed further forward and United have returned to a back four - moving away from the 3-4-3 formation favoured by Amorim.

The six points United have taken from their past two games, against local rivals Manchester City and Premier League leaders Arsenal, is twice as many as they collected from the three games before that. They faced Leeds, Wolves and Burnley - who are all currently in the Premier League's bottom five.

Matheus Cunha scored a dramatic late winner for Manchester United as they downed Premier League leaders Arsenal in a five-goal thriller at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday:

• 1-0 (29 mins) - Arsenal took the lead when United defender Lisandro Martinez put the ball into his own net
• 1-1 (37 mins) - Martin Zubimendi's loose pass put Bryan Mbeumo through on goal and he calmly went past David Raya before putting the ball into an empty net
• 1-2 (50 mins) - United shocked the home side by taking the lead through a superb strike from Patrick Dorgu, who hammered in a thunderous effort off the underside of the crossbar
• 2-2 (84 mins) - Second-half substitute Mikel Merino looked to have rescued at least a point when he bundled in from a corner in the 84th minute
• 2-3 (87 mins) - But just three minutes later Cunha picked up a pass from Kobbie Mainoo and curled a superb strike into the bottom corner from about 25 yards out.

If you are just joining us, we have been looking at Arsenal's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League and its potential impact on the title race.

So far, all the focus has been on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Check out the links below for a recap of the day's top content before we take a closer look at Michael Carrick's fairytale return to United:

• Opta's Premier League predictions
• Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon says it was the 'sloppiest' he had seen the Gunners play in recent times
• Arsenal lack a clear goalscorer in their side
• Gyokeres fails to replicate Sporting form with Arsenal

• Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira says it's 'now or never' to win the league but questions their mental strength
• Open play vs set plays - what does Arsenal's xG tell us?

Wayne Rooney
Former Man Utd striker on The Wayne Rooney Show

When you haven't got that experience of getting over the line, it is so important to have players who know how to do that.

Once Arsenal do it once they are capable of winning two or three Premier League titles in a row. The first one is always the most difficult.

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Reuters

Cool, calm and collected?

According to Arsenal fan and content creator James Clark, the Gunners are the "complete opposite" at this moment in time.

Although Arsenal have only lost three games in the Premier League this season, Clark believes there is "an anxiety around" their current performances.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Clark said: "The closer it gets [the Premier League title], the more pressure that is put on it. We are rushing every time we get in front of goal and we're snatching at it."

At this stage of the 2022-23 campaign, Arsenal had a two-point lead at the top of the table and a game in hand on title challengers Manchester City.

"Roll back to 2022-23, Arteta's first title challenge - you saw that [same] excitement," added Clark.

"Now, because there is that weight of expectation, we are seeing it more and more."

Roy Keane
Former Manchester United midfielder on Sky Sports

It was a nervous performance from Arsenal. There was that nervous tension in the stadium.

The closer you get towards the end of the season, that will just get worse.

Don't panic. Look at the table and what Arsenal players have done and all the other competitions they are in.

When you're at home there is that expectation. They didn't deal with that expectation and pressure.

Wayne Rooney
Former Man Utd striker on The Wayne Rooney Show

Image source, Getty Images

I think Mikel Arteta is brilliant, I've praised him a lot, but I think he panicked after Manchester United went 2-1 up.

To make the four changes at once - Ben White, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Viktor Gyokeres replacing Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus on 58 minutes - I think he's panicked and rushed those changes.

Rather than let Arsenal try and get back into the game with the players they had on the pitch, I think he panicked with the four changes, and it didn't really pay off, I feel.

I think the main thing for Arsenal now is not to panic because I think that's two points from the last nine.

If you were to have given Arsenal a four-point lead at this stage of the season, then I'm sure they would have taken it.

But the slight concern is just the last few weeks, only picking up those two points out of nine.

So I'm sure Arteta will want to try and get the next win on the table as quick as possible.

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Just a reminder that Arsenal top the Premier League table by four points after 23 games.

Manchester City and Aston Villa both closed the gap, moving on to 46 points with wins against Wolves and Newcastle, respectively, at the weekend.

Manchester United moved into fourth place, 12 points behind the Gunners, with Sunday's 2-0 win at Emirates Stadium...

Micah Richards
Former Man City defender on Sky Sports

Arsenal are a little too deep, tactically. When they lose the ball, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are really deep and then, when they go on the transition, Manchester United were allowed to get back into position. Everything was moving too slow.

Patrick Vieira
Former Arsenal captain on Sky Sports

Arsenal are still four points clear, but there are still some questions about the mental strength of the team.

It is not the fact they lost the game [against Manchester United], but it was the way they lost the game. It was a lack of creativity.

Image source, Getty

These images are doing the rounds on social media.

In the second half, Arsenal piled their players on the goalline, surrounding Man Utd goalkeeper Senne Lammens. And it came off, once, as Mikel Merino scored their second.

Lemmens wasn't fouled but the tactic makes it difficult to get to the incoming ball.

There were a flurry of late corners in the match, where he did well to punch the ball away.

But the quality of the Arsenal deliveries and the chaos in the six-yard box clearly makes it incredibly difficult to defend against.

As a reminder, Arsenal's 13 goals from set-pieces is more than any other side in the Premier League.

So, with so much threat from their corners, just how do you defend it?

Arsenal

Arsenal have scored five goals in the four Premier League games they have played since the turn of the year, at a combined xG (Expected Goals) of 5.01.

If you break down that xG, the Gunners had better quality chances from set plays - 2.26 in open play compared with 2.75 from set plays:

2-3 vs Manchester United

• xG - 1.2
• xG from open play - 0.39
• xG from set plays - 0.81

0-0 vs Nottingham Forest

• xG - 2.07
• xG from open play - 0.67
• xG from set plays - 1.4

0-0 vs Liverpool

• xG - 0.57
• xG from open play - 0.43
• xG from set plays - 0.14

3-2 vs AFC Bournemouth

• xG - 1.17
• xG from open play - 0.77
• xG from set plays - 0.4

Combined

• xG - 5.01 (1.25 per game)
• xG from open play - 2.26 (0.57 per game)
• xG from set plays - 2.75 (0.69 per game)

There was lots of talk on social media about Viktor Gyokeres' opportunity to level for Arsenal with seconds remaining at the Emirates Stadium.

He barged Lisandro Martinez out of the way and got into the box but his effort went wayward. The whistle had gone for a foul anyway.

Gyokeres came on just before the hour mark for the Gunners and didn't manage a shot on target.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Viktor Gyokeres joined Arsenal from Sporting last July (2025) in a deal worth up to 73m euros (£64m).

The former Brighton and Coventry striker scored 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting, also contributing 26 assists in his two seasons in Portugal to help them claim two league titles.

Since his summer move, Gyokeres has scored just five league goals in 21 appearances for the Gunners.

Gyokeres stats in the Premier League since joining Arsenal:

• Goals: 5
• Assists: 0
• Shots on target: 11
• Minutes played: 1,385
• Minutes per goal: 277