- Romelu Lukaku had the first clear-cut chance of the match when he hit the bar from close range
- Arsenal made them pay when Granit Xhaka's long-range effort bamboozled goalkeeper David de Gea
- Manchester United midfielder Fred was the next to rattle the woodwork with his strike from distance
- Fred was then judged to have brought down Alexandre Lacazette inside the area and a penalty was given
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then stepped up and calmly slotted home Arsenal's second down the middle
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the finishing touches on Arsenal's 2-0 win over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur, we're coming for you,' sang the locals. Maybe, maybe not - but they're coming for somebody. First it was Chelsea, beaten 2-0 here in January and subsequently relegated to sixth place, now Manchester United, defeated by domestic opponents for the first time in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure and edged out of the Champions League top four.
Arsenal face Rennes on Thursday in a competition that has come to be known as their Champions League safety blanket. If it stays like this, however, it is Solskjaer who will need to land the big one to be in it next season.
Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up serenaded the fans as they walked into the night and the rain — and Arsenal have. They lead United by two points and trail Tottenham by one.
Granit Xhaka attempted a speculative strike from range early on and it wrong-footed United keeper David De Gea
A supporter ran across the pitch and confronted Chris Smalling after the second goal - police later made an arrest
For a manager in his first Premier League season, undertaking a considerable rebuilding exercise on limited resources, Unai Emery is doing a very good job. It was a strange kind of victory — the first goal an unfamiliar sight, the second all too common.
Nobody expects a howler from David de Gea these days, a contentious penalty decision, sadly, seems to happen every game. Arsenal benefitted from both.
That is not to say the win was without merit. Sead Kolasinac was the man of the match, a constant threat from left wing-back, closely followed by goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who was both quick-witted and brave in repelling United's forwards.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a prospect, while Granit Xhaka is at last looking a central midfielder capable of holding the fort as well as blasting his way out of it.
Paul Pogba has been running games of late but not this one. It wasn't that he didn't play well, more that Arsenal kept him in check. There remains the potential for upset, as happened in Rennes last Thursday, but gradually Emery is getting his team where he wants it.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watches his players from the touchline after his side fell behind
Ainley Maitland-Niles and Leno celebrate after securing a much-deserved victory against United on Sunday
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