Manchester United’s 25-match unbeaten run was ended by Arsenal at Emirates Stadium as the hosts won 2-0 on Sunday.
Danny Welbeck helped end Manchester United’s 25-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, scoring Arsenal’s second in a 2-0 win over his former team, which handed Arsene Wenger a first top-flight triumph over Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese coach tempted fate by making eight changes from Thursday’s Europa League win over Celta Vigo, and it ultimately backfired with the hosts consigning them to their first league defeat since losing 4-0 to Chelsea in October.
The two sides produced a frenetic start and both went close inside the first eight minutes.
Arsenal were the first to be carved open, as Rooney fed Anthony Martial and the Frenchman saw his poked attempt turned around the post by Cech.
Alexis Sanchez then found Aaron Ramsey with an inch-perfect pass a few moments later, only for David De Gea to brilliantly palm his effort past the right-hand post.
Things soon settled down and Arsenal became the dominant force, troubling United twice just before the half-hour mark.
Both chances fell to Welbeck, who first saw a six-yard effort crucially blocked by Phil Jones following a corner, before Chris Smalling produced a similarly important intervention to get in the way of the striker’s first-time shot.
United should have made the breakthrough soon after, but Cech bailed out Rob Holding, following a horribly misplaced backpass which was seized upon by Rooney.
Arsenal made the most of that let-off early in the second half and left United with a mountain to climb.
Xhaka broke the deadlock in fortuitous fashion in the 54th minute as his 30-yard drive took a wicked deflection off Ander Herrera and looped over the helpless De Gea.
Just three minutes later Welbeck put Arsenal two up, rising to meet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s right-wing cross with a fine header which found the net via the crossbar.
Mourinho attempted to claw United back into the contest by introducing Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford from the bench, but neither had a huge impact.
The visitors’ final throw of the dice saw 20-year-old attacker Scott McTominay thrown in for his Premier League debut six minutes from time.
Proceedings had long since lost any real tempo, though, and Arsenal comfortably held on to move to within two points of United and six of Manchester City, while the Gunners still have a game in hand on both.
PHOTO: Premier League website
– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.com
