Arsenal failed to maintain the intensity following Emile Smith Rowe’s stunning goal and were made to pay the price as one of the most odd goals in Premier League history sailed past a wounded David de Gea.
With a brace on the night – though Martin Odegaard promptly cancelled out his first – Cristiano Ronaldo was up to his old tricks against Arsenal, while Bruno Fernandes also beat Aaron Ramsdale to punish Arteta’s young guns.
Arsenal’s six-game league unbeaten run against Man United came to an end on a dreadful night at the Theatre of Dreams, and they also missed the chance to leapfrog West Ham United into the top four, with the fifth-placed Gunners now just one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur despite having played one more game.
Arsenal Team News
Bukayo Saka was well enough to start at Old Trafford, but long-term injured players Sead Kolasinac and Granit Xhaka are still out, and Emile Smith Rowe is a slight doubt due to pain.
Bernd Leno, the team’s backup goalkeeper, is also suffering from a groyne issue, but he was never going to replace Ramsdale, and Nuno Tavares will try to keep Kieran Tierney out of the lineup once more.
With Arteta unlikely to drop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang despite his recent lack of ruthlessness, Saka’s probable return to the starting XI could cause problems for Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares; Partey, Lokonga; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang