Thanks to spectacular goals from Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha in the second half, Manchester United defeated Arsenal 3-2 in north London on Sunday, loosening their hold on the Premier League title battle.

Mikel Arteta’s team lost at home for the first time this season, leaving the door open. A victory would have restored Arsenal’s seven-point lead over chasers Manchester City and Aston Villa, both of whom won this weekend.When Lisandro Martinez’s own goal gave Arsenal the lead in the 29th minute, everything was going according to plan.

However, a horrible error by Martin Zubimendi in the 37th minute gave United an equalizer, with the Spaniard transferring directly to Bryan Mbeumo, who finished magnificently.

After Lisandro Martinez turned Martin Odegaard’s cross into his own net in the first half, Arsenal looked to be in total control of their match against Manchester United. However, they let chaos take over when calm heads were needed.In the eight minutes following the first goal, Bryan Mbeumo’s equalizer—which resulted from a blatant mistake by Martin Zubimendi—was the second time he had penetrated behind Arsenal’s defense. Just moments before,  had also missed a fantastic opportunity. To put it another way, Arsenal cannot claim they were not warned.

They lost their composure and struggled to pick up the pieces for the remainder of the game, their edginess reflecting the sentiment of their supporters. Although Arsenal leads the Premier League, the Emirates Stadium does not currently feel that way.

Then, in the 50th minute, Dorgu hammered a fierce effort off the crossbar to give United the lead, but Mikel Merino, a replacement, equalized the score in the 84th.

However, United were not done, and three minutes later, to the delight of the visiting supporters, Cunha looped home from more than 25 yards.

With 50 points from 23 games, Arsenal is now without a victory in three league games, while City and Villa have 46. With 38 points, United climbed up to fourth place.

Afterwards, Patrick Vieira questioned the team’s mental toughness, but a former Manchester United captain made the most critical comment. “They have to get back to basics and embrace this challenge instead of being frightened of it,” Roy Keane stated.

The way their prior title challenges have concluded is the source of the worry. It is becoming more and more evident in their performances. Although the goalless draws with Nottingham Forest and Liverpool weren’t catastrophic, warning signs are already beginning to sound.

Although Arsenal had not given up three goals in a game since December 2023, the way they shot themselves in the foot seemed familiar. They’ve gotten into the habit of making things harder than they have to be. They are still lead by four points. However, this club and its supporters are finding it difficult to let go of the baggage from past seasons.
Wright, Nick Wright. If Arsenal are to finally break free from this cycle, it will not be through tactical tweaks or lineup changes alone. It will require a psychological reset, a willingness to embrace expectation rather than fear it, and leaders on the pitch who steady nerves when chaos threatens to take over. Titles are not won in perfect performances, they are secured in uncomfortable moments like these. Until Arsenal prove they can ride out adversity with conviction, the ghosts of previous campaigns will continue to linger, no matter how strong their position appears on paper.