MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United's Matheus Cunha blew the Premier League title race wide open with a stunning winner as his team beat Arsenal 3-2 on Sunday.
The Brazil international curled an 87th-minute long-range shot past goalkeeper David Raya to decide a thrilling game at the Emirates Stadium that leaves Arsenal just four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top of the standings.
United is up to fourth after back-to-back
wins under head coach Michael Carrick, who is increasingly strengthening his case to be given the job on a long-term basis, having beaten City in his previous game.
Two games in, Carrick has beaten the top two in England's top flight.
For Arsenal it's three games without a win in the league to give hope to its title rivals. This was its first home loss this season, despite taking the lead in the 29th through Lisandro Martinez's own-goal.
If that was a gift, so was United’s equalizer, with Martin Zubimendi’s loose pass playing Bryan Mbeumo through on goal. The Cameroon forward rounded Raya and fired into the empty net in the 37th.
Patrick Dorgu then crashed in a spectacular long-ranger that went in off the underside of the bar five minutes into the second half to put United in front.
Mikel Merino bundled in an equalizer in the 84th that looked to have at least salvaged a draw for the home team until Cunha’s outrageous winner.
Aston Villa kept up its unlikely title challenge with a 2-0 win against Newcastle.
Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins scored in each half at St. James' Park to move third-place Villa level on points with Manchester City in second on 46 points and four behind Arsenal.
Buendia fired Villa ahead with a dipping shot from outside of the area in the 19th minute and Watkins doubled the lead in the 88th.
Villa has not won the title since 1981 and seven years ago was playing in the second-tier Championship. But under coach Unai Emery, the Midlands club has been transformed.
And it is firmly in the race for the title after its 13th win in its last 16 league games. City is ahead of Villa on goal difference after a 2-0 win against last-place Wolves on Saturday.
Chelsea is also going in the right direction under new coach Liam Rosenior. Goals from Estevao, Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez sealed a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace.
Rosenior has won four of his five games in charge in all competitions, with two of those coming in the league.
At the bottom of the standings Nottingham Forest picked up a crucial 2-0 win at Brentford to reopen a five-point gap to the relegation zone.
West Ham's 3-1 win against Sunderland on Saturday saw the London club move to within two points of 17th-place Forest. But an unlikely win for Forest at high-flying Brentford boosted its survival chances.
Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi got the goals in each half for Sean Dyche's team.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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