Late Cunha rocket fires Man. United past Arsenal in Emirates thriller

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

A stunning late strike from Matheus Cunha sealed a dramatic 3–2 away victory for Manchester United over Arsenal in a pulsating Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

United snatched all three points in the 87th minute when Cunha, moments after coming off the bench, latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Kobbie Mainoo and unleashed a ferocious shot from the edge of the box that arrowed into the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper David Raya helpless.

The goal silenced the home crowd and capped a breathless contest that swung repeatedly in momentum.

Arsenal had drawn first blood in the 29th minute through an unfortunate own goal by Lisandro Martínez, who diverted the ball into his own net while attempting to deal with sustained pressure from the hosts.

The Gunners dominated possession early on, with Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice driving play from wide and central areas respectively.

United responded with composure, restoring parity in the 37th minute when Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on a defensive lapse to slot home from close range.

The visitors grew in confidence after the interval and went ahead early in the second half as Patrick Dorgu rifled an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net following a neat lay-off from Bruno Fernandes.

Arsenal, however, refused to fold. The introduction of fresh legs paid off in the 84th minute when Mikel Merino reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and calmly fired home to make it 2–2, setting up a tense finale.

Just as the home side pushed for a winner, United struck decisively on the counter. Cunha’s screamer proved the difference, despite late pressure that saw Fernandes narrowly miss in stoppage time.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens also produced several crucial saves, notably denying Saka in a one-on-one situation.

The victory powers Manchester United to the fourth position on the table.