Manchester United squabbled to get back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-2 victory against Arsenal in a highly entertaining encounter at Old Trafford.
Arsenal started off better and dominated possession, circulating the ball smoothly in midfield, while United sat back and patiently waited for their opportunity to hit on the counter-attack.
A bizarre incident took place in the 13th minute, when Fred stood on David de Gea’s ankle as an Arsenal corner came into the box.
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The Spanish goalkeeper went down and following a clearance out the area, the ball fell at the feet of Emile Smith Rowe, who smashed it into the net from the edge of the box to open the scoring for the Gunners.
There was some confusion as to whether the goal was legal or not, but Martin Atkinson awarded it after speaking with those in the VAR room, which led to the Red Devils’ players surrounding the referee to complain afterwards.
Manchester United pushed forward for an equaliser, but they lacked a final pass despite having most of the ball before the break and committing numbers to the attack.
When everything indicated that Arsenal would head into the half-time break with a one-goal lead, Bruno Fernandes scored a timely goal to level the game for the Red Devils.
Fernandes’ goal served as a boost in confidence, with the hosts hitting the ground running after the break and managing to complete their comeback through Ronaldo in the 52nd minute.
But the Gunners reacted instantly and equalised after a nice team move, with Gabriel Martinelli teeing up Martin Odegaard, who netted the leveller.
Then, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to beat De Gea from a tight angle and that led to Odegaard committing a clumsy penalty on Fred, with Ronaldo converting from the spot to put United ahead again. (MARCA)
