UNITED fans will never forget the famous kung fu kick by a man wearing black.
And exactly 31 years after Eric Cantona put the boot in on Matthew Simmons at Selhurst Park, and wearing a very similar strip, Matheus Cunha stomped all over Arsenal’s planned title procession to stun the Emirates
Brazilian ace Cunha’s thunderbolt blasted race wide open as Michael Carrick’s magical start at the United helm continued.
Just as Cantona’s eight month ban was crucial as United lost the Prem crown to Blackburn, so Cunha’s belter could prove a pivotal moment in this term’s battle.
Mikel Merino looked to have rescued Arsenal’s unbeaten home record, prodding over the line after a Senne Lammens howler for the Gunners’ 26th set-piece goal of the season.
That came after a roller-coaster of a game, which exposed all the raw nerve ends of the Emirates faithful.
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From boastful self-belief when Lisandro Martinez put through his own net to give Arsenal the lead, to four-letter fury directed at their own player as Martin Zubimendi’s calamitous blunder gifted Bryan Mbeumo the equaliser.
When Patrick Dorgu exploded a brilliant strike in off the bar at the start of the second half, United had given hope to Manchester City and Aston Villa, now just four points adrift.
Merino’s scuffed effort, awarded by goalline technology, appeared to have nicked a point, the Spaniard one of FOUR players thrown on by Mikel Arteta in response.
But with three minutes left, Cunha, just on for Mbeumo, received from Kobbie Mainoo and turned into space before arrowing an outstanding strike beyond David Raya’s grasp to find the corner of the net from 23 yards.
He will not score too many better for United and this could be the one that tips Arsenal into a cloud of self-doubt.
Carrick has now beaten the Prem top two in the space of just nine days since taking the Old Trafford reins on an interim basis. It could not have gone any better.
Arsenal, though, are stumbling, just two points out of the last nine and with the fear factor suddenly a wave flowing around North London, the chains of doubt clanging with ominous intensity.
United, just, deserved it, too, if only for the defensive resolve of Harry Maguire – playing himself back into the World Cup equation – and Martinez.
Lesser teams would have folded, too, when Arsenal’s early dominance was finally rewarded – on an afternoon where the managers opted to omit the £121m-worth of strikers they spent most of the summer fighting over.
Both Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko were on at the end but neither really impacted a match that seemed to be following the form book on 29 minutes when Martinez’ right heel pinged Martin Odegaard’s volley over his own line.
Man Utd ratings vs Arsenal
MANCHESTER UNITED secured a famous victory over Arsenal after coming behind to win a Premier League epic.
Jurrien Timber gave the Gunners the lead before Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on a Zubimendi mistake to equalise before half time.
Patrick Dorgu then scored a stunning strike to give United the lead.
But Mikel Merino looked to have salvaged at least a point for the Gunners when he scrambled the ball home from a corner late on.
However, a minute later, Matheus Cunha had the final word with a brilliant strike to give United all three points.
Here’s how SunSport’s Samuel Luckhurst rated the Red Devils stars on a memorable afternoon in North London.
It had been coming, too. Earlier, Martinez had made a vital block to foil Declan Rice after Bruno Fernandes, not for the last time, was caught in possession, while Lammens, so fallible later, made a superb reaction save to keep out Zubimendi’s close-range header.
But when Piero Hincapie drove down the left before a deep cross that should have been dealt with by Dorgu, Bukayo Saka took advantage to feed Odegaard, although Martinez control as he scuffled with Jurien Timber.
Lift off? Not a bit of it. To the growing consternation of the Emirates fans, it was the visitors who responded.
Bruno was twice wastefully wide, the second time from 12 yards after William Saliba, unaccountably, let Mbeumo’s touch forward run in behind him.
And eight minutes before the interval, Zubimendi’s nightmare moment, passing straight to Mbeumo, was duly punished as the Cameroon striker, hardly able to believe his luck, rounded Raya to slide home.
The spasm of abuse hurled the Spaniard’s way by some home fans was a sign of the fear that, once again, their team will conspire to potentially throw away a title that still seems there for the taking.
Arsenal ratings vs Man Utd
ARSENAL’s title hopes were handed a huge blow as they suffered a shock defeat at home to Man Utd.
The Gunners are now three games without a win in the Premier League and their lead at the top has been cut to just four points.
Mikel Arteta’s men took the lead through Jurrien Timber before Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on a Zubimendi error to quickly equalise.
And a Mikel Merino second half goal wasn’t enough to earn a point as Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha netted stunning strikes either side of it.
The Gunners now face a tough trip to Leeds with Man City and Aston Villa breathing down their necks.
Here’s how SunSport’s Simon Collings rated the Arsenal stars on an afternoon they’d rather forget.
And six minutes after the break, once Stockley Park had confirmed Bruno’s initial pass came off Dorgu’s left thigh, not his arm, before he thrashed in an absolute stunner off the underside of the bar, that sense of doom intensified.
It was only the second time Arsenal had trailed at home all season, the other coming when Gabriel Martinelli scored a stoppage time leveller against City in September.
Lammens escaped one corner flap, bailed out by Mbeumo, before Arteta played his cards, making that quadruple change.
On came Ben White, Eberechi Eze, Gyokeres and Mikel Merino, with Hincapie, Zubimendi, Jesus and Odegaard off.
Yet as the clock ticked down the only real threat saw Merino’s shot deflecting off Harry Maguire’s supporting arm and gathered by Lammens.
The Belgian keeper, though, made a horrible mess of Saka’s corner with seven to go, a goalmouth scramble ending with Merino’s scuffed effort just about having the power to get a fraction over the line before Sesko hacked away.
United would probably have taken the point, Arteta would surely have agreed.
Cunha had other ideas. No seagulls or trawlers this time. But it set the title cat among the Arsenal pigeons. And perhaps changed everything.
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