A Kieran Gibbs own-goal and a Wayne Rooney strike saw Manchester United return to the Premier League’s top four with a bruising 2-1 victory at Arsenal on Saturday.
Arsenal subjected United’s makeshift back four to heavy pressure throughout the game at London’s Emirates Stadium, but Gibbs’ unwitting intervention gave the visitors a 56th-minute lead before Rooney added a late second.
Arsenal substitute Olivier Giroud marked his comeback from a broken leg by slamming home in the 95th minute, but United held on to leave their rivals 15 points adrift of leaders Chelsea in eighth place.
Photo: Reuters
To compound matters, Arsene Wenger’s side lost key midfielder Jack Wilshere and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to injury, four days before an important UEFA Champions League home game against Borussia Dortmund.
An injury blight obliged United coach Louis van Gaal to deploy a three-man defense of Chris Smalling, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett, and the visitors then saw leftback Luke Shaw limp off after turning his ankle.
Arsenal peppered the visitors’ goal with shots, but United goalkeeper David de Gea kept them at bay, notably thwarting Wilshere and Danny Welbeck, who was making his first appearance against the club he left in September.
Wilshere was forced off in the 55th minute after turning his right ankle in a challenge with McNair and United struck barely a minute later.
Szczesny collided with Gibbs as he came for Ashley Young’s cross and when Antonio Valencia drilled the ball back into the box, the prone Gibbs instinctively stuck out a leg to send the ball into his own net.
Szczesny had to go off, with Emiliano Martinez coming on, and the Argentine was a virtual spectator until Angel di Maria freed Rooney to chip home in the 85th minute.
Giroud fired into the top-left corner midway through eight minutes of stoppage-time, but United held on to give Van Gaal the first away win of his tenure.
Earlier, Diego Costa scored again as Chelsea established a seven-point lead at the summit by comfortably beating 10-man West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Costa scored his 11th goal of the season in the 11th minute, chesting Oscar’s cross and volleying home, with Eden Hazard adding a second before Claudio Yacob was sent off for a two-footed challenge.
“In the first half we have to be 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 up,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said. “But the quality of our football was there. I don’t remember seeing many times football of that dimension.”
Victory saw the Blues set a new club record of 12 unbeaten games from the start of the season.
Mourinho’s side are now seven points clear of second-placed Southampton — who are to visit Aston Villa on today — and remain eight points above defending champions Manchester City, who won 2-1 at home to Swansea City.
Wilfried Bony put Swansea ahead in the ninth, but Stevan Jovetic equalized for the home side 10 minutes later and Yaya Toure strode through to score the winner early in the second half.
It was only City’s second win in seven games and they host Bayern Munich in the Champions League tomorrow, when even victory may not spare them from a third group-stage exit in four seasons.
Elsewhere, in-form Newcastle United climbed to fifth after Moussa Sissoko’s 78th-minute strike earned them a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers — their fifth straight.
West Ham United dropped out of the top four after losing 2-1 at Everton, with Leon Osman sliding in the winner on his 400th club appearance after Mauro Zarate canceled out Romelu Lukaku’s opener.
Burnley climbed off the foot of the table after Danny Ings scored twice in two first-half minutes to earn the promoted club a 2-1 win at Stoke City. Burnley are now level on points with Leicester City, who drew 0-0 at home to Sunderland.
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