The Emirates Stadium was a sea of anxiety. The Arsenal fans are acutely aware that a first Premier League title since 2004 is within their grasp and when it is so tantalising, it will be fraught. Especially when matches like this become a grind. When the attacking patterns do not work. When the team looks vulnerable.
Arsenal could feel their nearest rivals, Manchester City and Aston Villa, on their backs. Both had both won to cut their lead at the top to four points. Mikel Arteta’s team had drawn their previous two league matches 0-0 – against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. They were desperate for something here and when Patrick Dorgu put Manchester United 2-1 up with a scorching drive early in the second half, they would have taken anything. They would end with nothing – apart from a thumping headache.
Arsenal had only lost twice previously all season and for a moment they thought they had dug themselves out the hole. It was a set piece, of course, Bukayo Saka’s 84th-minute delivery leading to chaos, an unholy mass of bodies inside the United six-yard box. The substitute, Mikel Merino, touched home.
United were not finished. They had played with personality after going behind to a Lisandro Martínez own goal after 29 minutes. They were the better team thereafter, coming to enjoy the ball, to manipulate it with progressive intent. The sting in the tale was brutal for Arsenal. It was provided by Matheus Cunha, who came on as a substitute.
