London, UK | PREMIER LEAGUE | Injury-time goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus gave Arsenal a dramatic late 3-1 comeback win at Emirates Stadium.
Marcus Rashford had fired the visitors ahead on 27 minutes with their first attack, only for Martin Odegaard to immediately crash home a leveller.
Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka both spurned good chances – either side if the interval – and the second-half had been dominated by two big VAR interventions. The first revered a penalty decision, when it appeared Havertz had been fouled, the second ruled out a late United goal for offside.
But the real drama was yet to come. A corner fell to Rice at the far post in the 96th minute, and he controlled on his chest before crashing home his shot inside the near post.
Emirates Stadium was bouncing, and with virtually the last kick of the game Jesus raced away to add a late third on the break.
Early opportunities
In a fervent Emirates atmosphere Arsenal started strongly. Kai Havertz released Gabriel Martinelli on the left in the first minute, but his cutback evaded everyone in the box. Arsenal’s first corner moments later led to a blocked shot from Martinelli.
Mikel Arteta had reverted to the back four that served Arsenal so well for most of last season, with Ben White back at right back in place of the injured Thomas Partey.
Arsenal had a great chance to take the lead after a quarter of an hour. Declan Rice started the move, biting into a challenge in midfield to launch a counter attack. Martin Odegaard laid the ball off inside the box to Havertz, on his left foot ten yards from goal, but the German failed to make decent contact, and the opportunity went begging.
Martinelli was heavily involved. His deep cross looked destined for the head of Bukayo Saka and the far post until Diego Dalot flicked it away for a corner. From the resulting set piece, Rice headed over.
Exploding into life
Just as the tempo began to drop, the game erupted with two quick goals.
It was United who netted first, albeit against the run of play. Havertz saw his crossfield ball cut out, and Christian Eriksen released Marcus Rashford in a flash. As the defenders backed off, the England forward pressed on, before bending a right foot shot in off the post.
It was he visitors’ first shot – on or off target – of the afternoon, but their lead lasted less than two minutes.
Martinelli was the architect of Arsenal’s equaliser, his low cross perfectly picked out the arriving Odegaard, and the Arsenal skipper applied a sweet left foot shot to get them back on terms.
The atmosphere intensified yet further.
Eddie Nkeitah – back in the starting line up a few days after receiving his first senior England call up – looked to be away down the left late in the half, but he was crudely stopped by Victor Lindelof who was promptly shown a yellow card. On another day he could have seen red.
In injury time Bukayo Saka took aim from just outside the area after Nketiah laid off a corner to him, but his curler was blocked for another corner – our eighth of the half, an opening 45 minutes of which Arsenal had been on top, but failed to capitalise on our superiority.
Penalty overturned
Martinelli and Odegaard both had promising positions snuffed out in the opening exchanges of the second half as Arsenal looked to maintain the pressure.
At the other end Anthony Martial saw his shot saved by Aaron Ramsdale before William Saliba blocked well from Rashford’s follow up.
On the hour mark Arsenal were awarded a penalty for a foul by Aaron Wan-Bissaka on Havertz, but referee Anthony Taylor changed his decision after a VAR review. He had apparently seen enough on the replay to deem his initial award was an obvious error.
Second-half changes
Martinelli bent a low shot from 20 yards following a short corner, as the game became more scrappy in the final 20 minutes. The visitors were staring to grow more dangerous on the counter.
United sent on Rasmus Hojlund for his debut, Arteta responded by bringing on Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Fabio Vieira.
Arsenal were patiently looking for an opening, and all of a sudden fashioned a superb chance with a flowing move. Martinelli started it, passed to Odegaard who in turn found White. His low cross was right at Saka’s feet, but Onana blocked the low shot at short range.
Alejandro Garnacho raced away to slide the ball past Ramsdale to seemingly give United a lead in the final minutes, but VAR replays showed he was offside.
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