A Jesse Lingard brace fired Manchester United to a superb 3-1 win as their counter-attacking proved too much for a leaky Arsenal defence.
Antonio Valencia and Lingard both profited from defensive blunders inside the first 11 minutes to give United an early commanding lead but Arsenal’s relentless attack paid off just after the break as Lacazette halved the deficit.
With David de Gea performing miracles at one end, Lingard reasserted United’s two-goal advantage at the other but that was not the end of an unforgettable clash between these two great rivals as Paul Pogba was shown a red card in 76th minute.
Both Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho had their physios to thanks as Lacazette and Nemanja Matic made surprise recoveries from injuries. Whilst the former shaking off a groin injury allowed Arsenal to field their preferred front three it was not the trio that should have been of greatest concern to the hosts.
Within 11 minutes the game seemed to be as good as over and Arsenal had only themselves, and a defence that hadn’t conceded a goal in the five games together, to blame. Laurent Koscielny played a loose ball out to the right flank and Valencia beat Sead Kolasinac to claim it, played a one-two with Pogba before hammering home the opener.
The defence didn’t learn. Shkodran Mustafi dawdled in his own half and Lingard helped himself to possession. Martial streaked ahead and just as Koscielny looked like stopping the attack he flicked the ball through for the England international to slot past Petr Cech.
Arsenal did what they always do when the occasion gets to them: streamed forward in a desperate attempt to find a goal, playing as if there five, not 75, minutes on the clock.
With Mustafi having limped off to be replaced by Iwobi, Arsenal had the firepower to test their visitors and a few half-chances, Lacazette unfortunate not to make more contact from close range.
As the half wore on the Manchester United goalkeeper’s saves became increasingly improbable, culminating in a remarkable pawing of the ball to safety after it had deflected off Lukaku.
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Arsenal could have ended the half in front – Lacazette another somehow denied by the indefatigable De Gea – but by the same token United could have had plenty more. Whenever the visitors broke there seemed to be two fewer defenders than needed to withhold the counter.
Cech had to make a sprawling save to stop Koscielny scoring an own goal, rather typifying Arsenal’s chaotic approach to defence.
Still, by the second half, the Arsenal siege weaponry found a crack in the United wall. Sanchez lobbed a pass behind the defence, Ramsey miscontrolled it but effectively teed up Lacazette to lash home.
The best meeting between these two sides in recent memory still had twists and turns aplenty. Moments after Lacazette’s goal Lingard lobbed against the post.
De Gea’s heroics became ever more implausible, a double save from Lacazette and Sanchez the pick of the bunch.
Just as Arsenal’s pressure appeared to be irresistible Lingard struck again, bursting from halfway to lead a counter he finished off after Pogba had outmuscled Koscielny on the byline.
This time United set up to hold on but when Pogba connected his studs to the back of Bellerin’s knee Arsenal, who would end the game playing in a 2-3-5, were handed hope again. But as the rain hammered down there was to be no redemption for the Gunners, who paid a heavy price for their early carelessness.