LONDON (MNN); Arsenal may not be in panic mode yet, but signs of Premier League title tension are emerging in north London after a dramatic 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United on Sunday reopened the race for the top spot.
Second-half stunners from Patrick Dorgu and substitute Matheus Cunha handed United their first league victory at the Emirates Stadium since 2017, loosening Arsenal’s hold on first place.
Instead of extending their lead to seven points, Arsenal suffered their first home defeat of the season in all competitions and now sit just four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa.
City returned to winning ways on Saturday with a victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Aston Villa claimed a 2-0 win at Newcastle United earlier on Sunday. Emiliano Buendia struck in the first half before Ollie Watkins sealed the result late on, helping Villa bounce back from last week’s defeat to Everton.
Arsenal, now without a win in their last three league matches, remain top with 50 points from 23 games. City and Villa both have 46 points, while a resurgent Manchester United moved up to fourth with 38.
Chelsea sit fifth on 37 points after a 3-1 away win against Crystal Palace. Goals from Estevao, Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez secured the victory, while Chris Richards scored a consolation for Palace, who were reduced to 10 men after Adam Wharton’s dismissal.
Nottingham Forest eased relegation fears with a 2-0 win at Brentford, moving five points clear of the drop zone.
Arsenal, chasing their first league title since 2004, had the chance to build a commanding lead amid recent stumbles by City and Villa. However, Sunday’s defeat, following back-to-back goalless draws, has increased pressure.
“You have to give credit to Manchester United. We made an unusual and painful mistake, then they produced two brilliant goals. We were not at our best and we paid for it,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.
Arsenal appeared in control after Lisandro Martinez’s own goal gave them the lead in the 29th minute. However, a costly error by Martin Zubimendi allowed Bryan Mbeumo to equalise eight minutes later.
Dorgu put United ahead with a powerful volley early in the second half, but substitute Mikel Merino restored parity late on from a corner. United had the final say when Cunha surged forward and curled a long-range effort past David Raya to spark jubilant celebrations among the away supporters.
At St James’ Park, Villa overcame a lacklustre Newcastle side despite a tight schedule following their Europa League win over Fenerbahce. Buendia opened the scoring in the 19th minute, while Watkins headed home in the 88th minute to seal the points.
Forest responded well to pressure after West Ham closed the gap beneath them on Saturday. Goals from Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi secured a rare away win at Brentford, who suffered only their second home league defeat of the season. Forest moved level on points with 16th-placed Leeds United.
