Jesse Lingard scored twice with Antonio Valencia also netting but it was De Gea's incredible saves which kept United ahead
RUTHLESS Manchester United destroyed Arsenal’s perfect home record as Jose Mourinho regained his stranglehold on Arsene Wenger.
Two goals in the first 12 minutes put the visitors in complete control as Arsenal’s previously impregnable defence crumbled under the early onslaught.
Both goals were the direct result of The Gunners losing possession to United’s pressing game deep inside their own half.
And even Paul Pogba’s 75th minute red card for stamping on Hector Bellerin could not halt United in a pulsating match at the Emirates.
Arsenal were looking to equal a club record 13 straight home wins in the Premier League but fell behind after just five minutes when Antonio Valencia intercepted a wayward pass by Laurent Koscielny.
The United skipper exchanged passes with Paul Pogba on the edge of the area before threading a low shot through the legs of Petr Cech and the under the foot of Nacho Monreal.
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It was a classic sucker-punch by Mourinho’s men and seven minutes later they doubled their lead when Shkodran Mustafi was hustled off the ball by Jesse Lingard.
Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial helped the ball on for Lingard to continue his run into the Arsenal area and flick his shot past the furious Cech.
To make matters worse for Arsenal, Mustafi injured himself in the process of surrendering possession and had to be replaced by Alex Iwobi.
With a two-goal advantage to defend, United were happy to sit deep and keep the Gunners at arm’s length and almost paid the price when Alex Lacazette’s close-range shot was diverted against the bar by David De Gea before Granit Xhaka lashed the rebound wide.
There was another huge let-off for the visitors when Lukaku hacked the ball towards his own goal as he tried to clear Mesut Ozil’s 45th minute free-kick but was saved by De Gea’s fabulous reaction save.
Yet even De Gea was left helpless when Arsenal finally reduced the arrears five minutes after the break when Lacezzette converted Aaron Rammsey’s selfless pull-back from close range.
Arsenal were now throwing everything at United and were almost caught on the counter attack when Lingard’s shot was pushed against the post by Cech.
Yet De Gea continued to be by far the busier keeper and the Spanish international was soon back in action with an unbelievable double-save to thwart Lacazette and then Sanchez.
It was to prove a decisive moment in the game as minutes later Lingard restored United’s two-goal advantage with a simple tap-in after Pogba had powered his way past Koscielny.
But still the drama was not finished and 15 minutes from the end Pogba was shown a straight red card by referee Andre Marriner when he followed through on Bellerin and clearly stamped on the defender’s outstretched leg.
FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS
WHAT THEY SAID
David De Gea: "It was a difficult game. I'm really happy. We scored two quick goals but at the end of the first half we lost control of the game.
"In the second half they scored the first goal and the sending off of Paul, it was difficult.
"It's a win and I think all the team defends really well for the 90 minutes."
SOCIAL SAYS
DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Arsenal: Cech 6, Koscielny 6, Mustafi 4 (Iwobi 7), Monreal 6, Bellerin 6, Ramsey 7, Xhaka 7 (Welbeck 6), Kolasinac 6 (Giroud 5), Ozil 7, Sanchez 6, Lacazette 7
Subs not used: Mertesacker, Wilshere, Ospina, Coquelin
Goal: Lacazette 49’
Booked: Koscielny, Bellerin, Sanchez
Man Utd: De Gea 9, Lindelof 7, Smalling 6, Rojo 7, Valencia 8, Pogba 7, Matic 8, Young 7 (Rashford 7), Lingard 8 (Darmian 6), Lukaku 7, Martial 8 (Herrera 6)
Subs not used: Mata, Blind, Romero, McTominay
Goals: Valencia 4’, Lingard 11’ 63’
Booked: Rojo, Herrera
Sent off: Pogba ‘74
Star Man: De Gea
