Arsenal 3, Manchester United 1
Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus scored injury time goals as Arsenal snatched victory from a lacklustre Manchester United.
Reds manager Erik ten Hag was fuming at the defeat – the first time United had lost their opening two away games in the league since 1974.
He claimed that Johnny Evans was being fouled for Rice’s goal, was baffled that Garnacho’s goal was ruled offside, and Rasmus Hojlund was fouled in the area and should have had a penalty.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe injured Raphael Varane was replaced by Victor Lindelof in the only change from United’s comeback win over Nottingham Forest last week.
Fit-again new signing Hojlund was a substitute alongside new emergency re-signing Evans – 8 years since his last game for United.
In a game lacking in overall quality Kai Havertz contrived to miskick a glorious chance to open the scoring for the Gunners after a mistake from Diogo Dalot.
And United drew first blood on the break after Havertz gave the ball away and Christian Eriksen released Marcus Rashford who cut inside and lashed in the opener inside the far post after 27 minutes.
Just 35 seconds later Arsenal were back level and a slick attacking move down their left side saw Gabriel Martinelli cut the ball back for Martin Odegaard to level matters from 15 yards out.
Aaron Ramsdale made a great save to deny Anthony Martial – one of the few things he did right on the day as the game became bitty.
Havertz won a penalty after going down under a challenge from Aaron Wan-Bissaka but referee Anthony Taylor overturned his decision after advice from VAR.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was fuming and Bukayo Saka was denied by a save from Andre Onana.
Hojlund was handed his debut, while Harry Maguire replaced the injured Lisandro Martinez, and the Danish debutant tried to claim a penalty after a challenge from Gabriel.
United were on the attack late on after Casemiro’s through ball released substitute Alejandro Garnacho to score neatly with 2 minutes to go but the VAR controversially ruled it out for offside with some wonky looking lines to the bafflement of Erik Ten Hag.
It looked set to end in a draw but injury time goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus broke United’s spirit.
Declan Rice opened his Arsenal account in style in the 96th minute when he scored from Saka’s corner at the far post, his deflected shot – off the luckless Evans who had replaced Lindelof – wrong-footed Andre Onana and put the Gunners into a 2-1 lead.
United had to commit everything to attack but Jesus put the Reds to the sword in the 11th minute of injury time after wrong-footing the retreating Dalot following a counter attack as United had piled forward – using Maguire as an emergency striker – to try and salvage a point from the game.