Brilliant Cunha caps thriller to deepen Arsenal's worry lines

The Emirates Stadium was a sea of anxiety.

- David Hytner

The Arsenal fans are acutely aware that a first Premier League title since 2004 is within their grasp and when it is so tantalising, it will be fraught. Especially when matches such as this become a grind. When the attacking patterns do not work. When the team look vulnerable. Everybody knows what they stand to lose.Arsenal could feel their nearest rivals, Manchester City and Aston Villa, on their backs. Both had won to cut their lead at the top to four points. Mikel Arteta’s side had drawn the previous two league matches 0-0 - against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. They were desperate for something here and when Patrick Dorgu put Manchester United 2-1 up with a scorching drive early in the second half, they would have taken anything. They ended with nothing apart from another set of worry lines.

Arsenal had lost only twice previously all season and for a moment they thought they had dug themselves out of the hole. It was a set piece, of course, Bukayo Saka’s 84th-minute delivery leading to chaos, an unholy mass of bodies inside the United six-yard box. Mikel Merino, on as a substitute, touched home.

United were not finished. They played with personality after going behind to a Lisandro Martínez own goal on 29 minutes. They were the better side thereafter, coming to enjoy the ball, to manipulate it with progressive intent. It was as if they could feel the tension in Arsenal bodies and were resolved to feed on it.