Bruno Fernandes penalty miss costs Manchester United as Arsenal win crucial top-four tussle

Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty as Arsenal won the crucial Premier League clash against Manchester United to climb into the Champions League spots.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s 100th Premier League goal gave United hope after Nuno Tavares and Bukayo Saka put Arsenal 2-0 up inside 32 minutes.

Manchester United were handed a glorious chance to equalise in the second half when they were awarded a penalty, but Fernandes missed the target.

Granit Xhaka’s superb strike put the game to bed with 20 minutes remaining as Arsenal clinched a 3-1 win and delivered a potentially killer blow in the top-four race.

Arsenal are now fourth, though they will drop back to fifth if Tottenham win their game in hand later in the day, while Manchester United are six points outside the Champions League positions with just four games remaining.

Off the back of a humbling defeat to Liverpool in midweek, Ralf Rangnick made five changes for the trip to north London, with Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford the notable omissions and Ronaldo returning following the tragic death of his baby son.

Arsenal, meanwhile, came into the fixture having beaten London rivals Chelsea 4-2 on Wednesday night, after three successive defeats threatened their top-four hopes.

The Gunners were ahead after just two minutes as Manchester United’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed again; Raphael Varane and Alex Telles both failed to clean an innocuous cross and Saka’s shot was saved into the path of Tavares who tapped home.

United had a great chance to equalise on 10 minutes as a sloppy Aaron Ramsdale pass was intercepted by Scott McTominay, but Fernandes saw his shot blocked by Gabriel.

Both teams went close in the next few minutes; first Manchester United when Diogo Dalot struck the bar