LONDON: Declan Rice scored his first goal for Arsenal and Gabriel Jesus added the icing on the cake as Arsenal roared back from a goal down to beat Manchester United 3-1 at the Emirates on Sunday. Marcus Rashford gave the visitors the lead against the run of play in the first half but Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard equalised seconds later. The Gunners had a penalty award overturned following a VAR check and United were denied what could have been a late winner when substitute Alejandro Garnacho was ruled offside.

The home side kept up the pressure in eight minutes of added time and were rewarded when Rice controlled a corner and shot past Andre Onana with the help of a deflection off Jonny Evans. There was still time for another goal as substitute Jesus burst forward, teasing Onana before putting the ball in the net. The result leaves Arsenal fifth in the table after their third win in four games, two points behind leaders Manchester City, while United are 11th in the table.

Fast start

Earlier, Arsenal shot out of the blocks, pinning United back in the warm September sunshine. The home side should have taken the lead in the 13th minute but new signing Kai Havertz miskicked horrendously from inside the area with the goal at his mercy. Arsenal continued to dominate, pressing high and forcing United into awkward situations at the back. The game exploded into life shortly before the half-hour mark when United took the lead against the run of play after a speedy counter-attack. Christian Eriksen picked up a loose ball in midfield and burst forward, producing a perfectly weighted pass for Rashford, running down the left-hand channel.

The England forward, largely anonymous in the early stages, cut inside and past two defenders before unleashing a shot past the despairing dive of Aaron Ramsdale. But the Gunners were level just a minute later when Odegaard, unmarked in the area, blasted home from just inside the box after being found by the impressive Gabriel Martinelli. But for all the home side’s enterprising play, they mustered just one shot on target in the first half. Arsenal were the quicker to settle after the break and were awarded a penalty just before the hour mark when Havertz tumbled in the box after being sandwiched between Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Casemiro but referee Anthony Taylor overturned his decision following a VAR check.

United boss Erik ten Hag gave new signing Rasmus Hojlund his first action in a United shirt, bringing on the Denmark forward for Martial in the 67th minute, also introducing former captain Harry Maguire for Lisandro Martinez. Martinelli curled a shot just wide as Arsenal continued to look the more likely winners, but United looked dangerous on the break. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta made three changes, including bringing on Jesus for the lively Nketiah. Garnacho appeared to have won the game for United in the 88th minute but VAR ruled he was marginally off-side.

United lost all six matches away to other members of the top seven last season, conceding 3.66 goals per away match on average and Sunday’s result spells more away-day misery. Earlier, Liverpool looked like the dominant Jurgen Klopp side of old as a 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday maintained the Reds’ unbeaten start to the new season. Dominik Szoboszlai, with his first goal for the club, and Mohamed Salah were on target either side of Matty Cash’s own goal. Victory takes the Reds to within two points of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

But it was the manner of victory and a return of 10 points from a tricky opening four games of the new season that will have Liverpool fans dreaming of a title challenge once more. Either side of Liverpool’s first title in 30 years in 2020, Klopp’s men missed out on the title to City twice by a solitary point in 2019 and 2022. However, last season they slumped to fifth in the Premier League to miss out on Champions League football for the first time in seven years.

A return to the top four looked like it could be the limit of Liverpool’s ambitions for the new campaign after a difficult summer in the transfer market led them to miss out on a number of targets. Klopp has had to completely rebuild his midfield, but new signings Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have slotted in with ease. Arguably the Reds’ most important business of the window was turning down a huge offer from Saudi side Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah this week.

Salah was a constant threat and there is little doubting Liverpool’s firepower up front with Darwin Nunez now finding his feet after a difficult first season. Nunez was rewarded for his match-winning contribution off the bench with two goals away to Newcastle last weekend with his first start of the season.

Alexander-Arnold sets the tone

The Uruguayan’s pace and power consistently exposed the Villa defence but it was from a set-piece that the home side broke the deadlock after just three minutes. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner came out to the edge of the box where Szoboszlai arrowed a powerful shot into the far corner on his weaker left foot. Alexander-Arnold controlled the game from his new role at the base of the Liverpool midfield when in possession.

Captain for the day in the absence of the suspended Virgil van Dijk, it was his pass that started the move for the second goal. Salah squared for Nunez, who should have scored himself, but when his shot came back off the post, the ball ricocheted in off the unfortunate Cash. Villa had lost just seven Premier League games in 28 under Unai Emery. – AFP