Antony’s debut goal helps resurgent Manchester United sweep past Arsenal

Glamour, speed, skill, entertainment: Manchester United and Arsenal produced a riveting watch lit up by a goal for Antony on his debut, the Gunners’ sparkle, and a Marcus Rashford double that ended the visitors’ 100% Premier League record.

In the final analysis, though, Mikel Arteta’s team had lost their way by the time Rashford scored his second – when taking the excellent Christian Eriksen’s pass in a breakaway – to kill them off in a contest that had a feel of cruiserweights hurtling at each other with zero respite. At the final whistle Arsenal remained leaders on 15 points while United rose to fifth place on 12, dreadful defeats in their opening two matches receding into the distance and their future, following this fourth consecutive victory, appearing ever brighter.

The opening exchanges gave a clue to the show ahead, with touches for Antony, some Diogo Dalot trickery down the left, and an Arsenal counter in which Gabriel Jesus drew a Lisandro Martínez foul. Martin Ødegaard took the resulting free-kick and Bruno Fernandes headed clear. When Scott McTominay pilfered the ball from Jesus the latter was left poleaxed on the floor. Paul Tierney stopped the contest due to concerns over a potential head injury and when the referee restarted United seriously threatened. Antony was in a cul-de-sac but a clever hitch-kick allowed him to poke to Dalot whose cross hit Eriksen’s boot, but he missed.

A next dizzying phase had Arsenal marauding upfield and from a free-kick the ball fell to William Saliba, who blasted over. When they attacked again it would cause the latest VAR incident of the day. Eriksen was dispossessed by Ødegaard in midfield and Bukayo Saka rolled a defence-bisecting pass to Gabriel Martinelli. His finish, as