Manchester United brought Arsenal's five-game winning start to the Premier League season to an end as Marcus Rashford and debutant Antony inspired them to a 3-1 win at Old Trafford.
The scoreline may have flattered Erik ten Hag's side, who spent much of the game desperately attempting to hold back the Arsenal tide within their own penalty area, but the Dutchman will at least feel that he has a template for overcoming big six rivals. As they had against Liverpool, United sacrificed possession for penetration on the break and it paid off in style.
Arsenal's best passage of the game ended with a goal but one forged by the impressive Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes in midfield. They turned defense into attack in two passes before Jadon Sancho and Rashford teed up Antony to mark his debut with a well-taken goal.
By then the visitors might have been leading but a well-finished move by Gabriel Martinelli was disallowed after the intervention of VAR with Martin Odegaard adjudged to have fouled Eriksen in the build up.
It took long enough and plenty of wasted chances but Arsenal's pressure eventually told when the ball broke to Bukayo Saka on the hour to roll into an empty net. Yet again momentum was on the visitors' side until the very moment United scored, Rashford darting onto a through ball by Fernandes as William Saliba played him onside.
With 20 minutes left to play Mikel Arteta went for broke, taking off his left back and holding midfielder as three forward-minded players came onto the pitch. It immediately backfired as Eriksen darted through an unprotected middle, teeing up Rashford for a goal that extends United's winning run to four games. Arsenal's might be at an end but after six games they still top the table on 15 points. On another day that tally might have been 18.
Here's what to know:
Entrusted from the outset just days after making his $95 million move from Ajax, it did not take long for Antony to make his mark. Even before his elegantly taken goal, there were flashes of the talent that will get Old Trafford on its feet. Shuffled into a safe space near the right corner flag by Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel, the 22-year-old Brazilian looked to have wasted a promising position for his teammates. Instead, he made it even better
A flick of the back of his heel and two defenders had been taken out of the game. Diogo Dalot was given all the space he could need to pick out a cross, a good one at that, and if Christian Eriksen's left foot had been as good as his right, United would have gotten their lead earlier. Antony had an eye for something special and throughout his debut he would go out of his way to make the game fun, twice attempting to chip Aaron Ramsdale before the break.
Crucially, though, there was substance to go with the style. He showed as much with a devastatingly timed run and finish off the left, the sort of goal he will be expected to deliver an awful lot in the coming months. Though he faded before being withdrawn in the second half, the weight of others more than picked up the slack with Rashford a devastating presence through the middle.
The game suited his skillset, hanging off the last shoulder of Arsenal's high line where his teammates could exploit his searing pace and composure in front of goal that has not left him even during his recent difficulties in front of goal. When United play as they did for 75 or so minutes, sitting deep and countering, he looks to be the perfect number nine. The intriguing question that hangs over Ten Hag early in his reign is how he adapts the game of Rashford (and plenty of others who seem better suited to transitional play) for games where United dominate the ball.
Not for nothing did Gary Neville spend the final minutes of his commentary on UK television singing Arsenal's praises. On another day, one where VAR had had a different view of Martinelli's early strike or Odegaard and Saka had had their shooting boots on, this might have been a statement road win for the league leaders. That it wasn't does not mean they are not a serious top-four contender, indeed in that regard, their standing should be enhanced for the way in which they dominated the game before United's second.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez were given all sorts of difficulties by Gabriel Jesus whilst the team as a whole simply could not stop Arsenal from getting into their penalty area. In general, if you have 47 touches in an opponent's box it is fair to assume you are going to score more than one goal.
As a sidenote, only Crystal Palace have allowed their opposition more penalty area touches than United so far this season. Ten Hag surely does not want his defense to be reliant on the penalty box tackles of Martinez and Varane in perpetuity.
At their best, the Arsenal front four weaved pretty patterns to get themselves just where they wanted. However, in key moments, particularly as the first half reached its conclusion, the final pass was off. It is fair to assume that where Odegaard, Saka and company are concerned that will be the exception rather than the norm.
Of course, Arsenal's performance was far from perfection. Arteta might conclude in the cold light of day that his triple change backfired but the league's youngest manager will learn from his errors if his recent track record is to be trusted. He will have to hope that Albert Sambi Lokonga does again after a display in which his positioning was too often called into question.
The role at the base of midfield is perhaps the hardest to learn in Arteta's side, even Thomas Partey needed a fair while to get up and running. Lokonga does the ball progression well, but for United's first in particular he was not in a position to block Eriksen's pass into Fernandes or to aid the defensive line from then on.
It should be noted that he would be third choice for this position in a fully fit squad but after the failure to sign Douglas Luiz on deadline day, Lokonga's difficulties felt all the more notable. With Mohamed Elneny out for months Arteta will need Partey to get fit – Arsenal hope he will be back next weekend – and keep him fit.
Premier League officiating has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons this weekend with the discourse around referees now so highly charged as to make it appear utterly unreasonable for human beings to make errors, even if they are as calamitous as that which denied West Ham a goal on Saturday. There is room for debate on whether VAR really needed to intervene to call back Martinelli's goal for Odegaard's challenge on Eriksen, one which Roy Keane felt was within the rules of the game, but amid all the rage perhaps we could find the space to note a job done right.
Paul Tierney's playing of advantage in the build-up to United's first goal was perfect officiating, the Premier League's desire to allow the game to flow put in action. It is also hard to simply do your job right if you are aware of the ludicrous debate surrounding you before the game (Arsenal fans complained that Tierney, born in Wigan and registered as a fan of that team, had grown up too close to Old Trafford). Perhaps moments like that is what should be expected of referees in a competition that views itself as the pinnacle of the domestic game. But given the circumstances surrounding his game, maybe it is justified to simply commend a job well done on this occasion.
That third goal really killed the game off and in the end United emerge victorious. There will be cause for optimism at Arsenal but not as much as if they'd won. Instead Old Trafford is rocking.
Arsenal are all at sea down the middle of the pitch as Eriksen breaks through the middle, played on by White. It's the easiest goal in the world as he squares for Rashford to score his second.
The Gunners are looking a little more vulnerable, a little nervous, and so Arteta makes three changes. Smith Rowe replacing Odegaard is a like for like change but taking off Zinchenko and Lokonga to bring on Nketiah and debutant Vieira suggests Arsenal are really going for it. It would appear that they've switched to a back three, perhaps with Saka and Martinelli as the wing backs.
It's those rapid transitions that do for United. Lokonga gives the ball away and the hosts fly forward. Fernandes' pass finds Rashford just onside and his low shot deflects beyond Ramsdale.
Gabriel Martinelli: 9
Bukayo Saka: 8
Manchester United: 8
Granit Xhaka: 7
Gabriel Jesus: 7
Martin Odegaard: 6
It has absolutely been coming. Odegaard slips on through for Jesus, Varane's covering tackle only squirming the ball to Saka, who scores his first goal of the season.
The Gunners are still on top and go close twice. Jesus gets away down the right with a nice turn to beat Martinez but Odegaard totally shanks the effort. Martinelli puts the ball back in and Saka takes it down wonderfully but his fierce right footed effort bends wide of goal. Arsenal want a penalty for what might have been contact by Malacia after the fact. I can't say I see it.
Arsenal push high up the pitch early on and get a free kick when Tierney flags for a high boot by Fernandes on Lokonga. There's no card for United's No.8 but half a chance for the Gunners when Zinchenko finds Xhaka in the box. The Swiss midfielder drags a pass towards the penalty spot but it's just behind Jesus.
An absorbing contest, one that Arsenal will have felt they shaded especially since Martinelli's goal was disallowed by VAR. Still there are few frontlines as well suited to rapid transitions as United's and Antony looks to have added another weapon in that regard. If the second half continues as the first did then there may well be plenty of further opportunities on the counter for the hosts.
Rashford follows Fernandes in staying down after a collision with an Arsenal player and finding that the opposition have no intention of stopping play. The visitors have reestablished their territorial control but seem to have slipped off each other's wavelengths with Odegaard and Martinelli making curious decisions in the box. Meanwhile Martinez is throwing himself at anything that moves.
All that pressure finally breaks but in United's favor. Eriksen plays a fine ball into midfield, Fernandes gets away from a sliding Gabriel. Referee Paul Tierney plays the advantage and United take it. Sancho, Rashford and Antony comes in off the left to roll the ball across Ramsdale. Old Trafford erupts.
This really is a threatening Arsenal side, just grinding away at the United defense. Odegaard drifts into midfield and pings a cross to the back post. Martinelli flicks it across goal towards the far corner and De Gea does very well indeed to get back across and parry the ball to safety.
To give you a sense of how pinned back United are, Rashford has had one touch since the 12th minute. We're now in the 33rd.
That goal has really given Arsenal a sense of confidence and they're starting to swing territory and possession in their direction. Indeed they think they have a penalty when Saka goes down but replays show that Martinez did not make much in the way of contact on the England international as the ball broke in the box.
That it is. Get ready for more VAR discourse for what is fundamentally a perfectly reasonable decision.
Eriksen has his pocket picked in midfield by Odegaard. Saka gets the ball and Martinelli is flying forward on the left. He is picked out and rolls the ball past De Gea. But VAR is instructing Paul Tierney to have a look and I think this is going to be overruled.
And it comes from excellent work by Antony. He gets away down the right but looks to be in trouble when Zinchenko and Gabriel force him down to the corner flag. From there he backheels the ball between the two towards a free Dalot, whose gorgeous cross sits up nicely for Eriksen's left foot. Had it been his right who knows but he can't get the whip off his weaker boot.
Soon after Arsenal have their first effort after a foolish free kick conceded by McTominay. The ball eventually comes to Saliba, who attempts to open up his body and curl it in the far corner but puts it wide.
A high energy start at Old Trafford as Eriksen and Dalot probe Arsenal uncomfortably down their right flank, Xhaka's boot vital in denying a shooting opportunity off a cutback. Lokonga, whose first three touches have all been shanked, does far better this time around with his heave given Jesus something to chase. Martinez lets it bounce and ultimately fouls Arsenal's No.9 down the right flank. It's a chance to get forward in numbers but a poor Odegaard delivery means it goes to waste.
Kick off is moments away at Old Trafford!
Here's what Ten Hag had to say on why one of his new Brazilians starts but the other (Casemiro) has to wait despite having been at the club for longer.
On Antony, the United manager said: "He knows the style we want to play and what we expect and demand. He can be an offensive threat in one on ones, his speed - that makes the choice to play him.
"[Casemiro] is new in the team, he has to adapt to the team. He has to get used to my way of playing football... The other thing, Scott McTominay is playing really well."
Trouble is mounting for Leicester City, bottom of the table with just one point from their first six games after a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Brighton (who might just have succeeded the Foxes as the best of the rest outside the big six). Brendan Rodgers' side now face Aston Villa next week in a match where the spotlight will be firmly on him and his counterpart Steven Gerrard.
Meanwhile Arsenal have a welcome surprise in their starting XI in the form of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who had missed training earlier this week but shakes off the injury that sidelined him for the last two games and takes his place in the side as a left back. I say that but he's far more than just a defender and his presence will surely be a balm to Sambi Lokonga, tasked with holding down the midfield. Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale also start after Mikel Arteta hinted at doubts over them. It does make you wonder how much the Arsenal boss was playing games with his selection.
We knew it was coming but it is still quite something to see one of world football's biggest names ever cast to the fringes of Erik ten Hag's squad at a time when attacking options are hardly overflowing for Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo's lack of fitness from a disrupted preseason is the stated reason for his absence though the reality is probably that his inability to fit into a more dynamic, hard-pressing frontline at 37 years of age has really cost him. No move emerged for him on transfer deadline day and it never really looked close. Unless he fancies a few months on the Bosphorous with Fenerbahce -- who can't even offer him the Champions League football he craves -- Ronaldo looks stuck.
"As we all know, he didn't have a pre-season," Ten Hag said of Ronaldo. "You cannot miss pre-season. It's a base. Especially with the game we play, the way we want to play. We don't play in the same way we did last year, there is no comparison. This demands cooperation and it demands certain positioning in - and out - of possession.
"The other thing is his fitness. But it's still early in the season. We have a squad. We have more than 11 players - and that's what you're seeing now."
Manchester United XI: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; McTominay, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford
Subs: Dubravka, Heaton, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro, Fred, Elanga, Ronaldo
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Lokonga, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Subs: Turner, Tomiyasu, Cedric, Holding, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Marquinhos, Nketiah
Date: Sunday, Sept. 4 | Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
Location: Old Trafford -- Manchester, United Kingdom
TV: USA | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Odds: MAN +160; DRAW +250; ARS +165 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Hello and welcome to live coverage of what should be a cracking match. Can Arsenal make it six from six and move four points clear at the top of the table? Or will Ten Hag's recent revival continue with another win against a tough opponent? We're about to find out.
