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Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-2 in a thrilling Premier League game at Old Trafford on Thursday (December 2) to return to winning ways. Cristiano Ronaldo struck a brace, including the winner from the penalty spot, as the Gunners lost for the second time in three league games.
Emile Smith Rowe volleyed the visitors in front with a nonchalant but controversial strike in the 13th minute with David de Gea seemingly injured on the ground. Bruno Fernandes then leveled it for the Red Devils just minutes before half-time.
Ronaldo stepped up in the second half to put them in front for the first time in the match with a simple finish into the far corner early in the second period. But Martin Odegaard equalized for Arsenal just two minutes later.
The Norwegian then went from hero to villain when he conceded a penalty by bringing down Fred inside the box. Ronaldo made no mistake from 12 yards, firing home the winner for his 801st career goal.
Manchester United ended their three-game winless run in the top-flight to move up to seventh in the table with 21 points from 14 games. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who could've broken into the top four with a win, remained in fifth.
Here are the player ratings for Manchester United and Arsenal:
Manchester United Player Ratings
David de Gea - 6/10
He was fouled by his own player during the opening goal and hence the goal stood. De Gea couldn't have done much about Odegaard's finish after the break, but did come up with a couple of quality saves.
Diogo Dalot - 7/10
He replaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back and put in a strong performance to make a convincing case for more starts in the future. Dalot was also involved in Ronaldo's first goal and ended the game with a shot on target and three tackles.
Victor Lindelof - 6.5/10
He failed to track Odegaard for Arsenal's second but was solid otherwise. Lindelof also completed 93.2% of his attempted passes.
Harry Maguire - 7/10
His first-half performance was arguably the best we've seen from him in a long time. However, Maguire nearly blew it with a pull on Tomiyasu that went unnoticed. The Manchester United captain ended the game with a tackle and completed 86.7% of his passes.
Alex Telles - 7/10
Telles showed a lot of industry down the left as his motoring runs down the flanks provided great width for Manchester United. He registered two key passes and two tackles on the night.
Scott McTominay - 6/10
He didn't always come up trumps in his midfield battles but worked hard and offered balance to the side. McTominay won a game-high six tackles, registered a key pass and also received a booking.
Fred - 7/10
The Brazilian made a terrible mistake early on by clashing with De Gea that left him in a heap during Smith Rowe's goal for Arsenal. However, he gained a measure of redemption by winning a penalty for Ronaldo after assisting Fernandes' equalizer.
Marcus Rashford - 6.5/10
A poor game from the Manchester United No.10, who looked miles off the pace in the match. However, he bagged an assist for Ronaldo's first goal.
Bruno Fernandes - 8/10
The playmaker marked his 100th appearance for Manchester United with a goal in the first half. He's contributed a total of 79 goals during this period. Fernandes ended the game against Arsenal with four key passes, two tackles and won two fouls in an all-round showing.
Jadon Sancho - 6/10
After scoring in consecutive games, Sancho was bright at times but largely a peripheral figure against Arsenal and struggled to make any notable impact.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 9/10
Following a frustrating opening half, he bagged his 800th strike with a simple finish to get Manchester United in front. Ronaldo then struck from the spot to restore his side's lead. The Portuguese got back on the top-flight scoresheet emphatically and registered four shots on target against Arsenal.
Substitutes
Jesse Lingard - 5/10
He was mainly seen celebrating Ronaldo's winning penalty and did not impact the game much after replacing Marcus Rashford with 10 minutes left.
Anthony Martial - N/A
Martial came on for Ronaldo in the 88th minute and it was too late for him to make any impact.
Donny van de Beek - N/A
The Dutchman touched the ball just once in stoppage-time after replacing Fernandes.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Aaron Ramsdale - 6/10
The Arsenal custodian made a few good interventions but was helpless against all three Manchester United goals.
Takehiro Tomiyasu - 7/10
The right-back was solid defensively and played a big part in keeping Jadon Sancho quiet. Tomiyasu ended the game with a key pass, a tackle and also won three fouls.
Ben White - 6.5/10
He coped well with Ronaldo's threat for much of the game but made a poor clearance that led to Fernandes' goal. White made three tackles against a quality Manchester United frontline.
Gabriel - 7/10
The Brazilian has been on a fine run of form this season and continued in the same vein against Manchester United too. Gabriel made a few key clearances and also had a shot on target which was well saved by De Gea.
Nuno Tavares - 6.5/10
He once again started ahead of Kieran Tierney and gave a good account of himself defensively. However, Tavares was in no man's land for Manchester United's second goal and his attacking game left a lot to be desired.
Gabriel Martinelli - 7.5/10
He followed up his strike against Newcastle in Arsenal's last game with an assist for Odegaard here. Martinelli also managed a tackle and three key passes on the night.
Thomas Partey - 4/10
Partey looked off the pace, sloppy in possession and was poor with his distribution. The Arsenal midfielder was well below his best against Manchester United.
Mohamed Elneny - 5/10
The Egyptian pressed Manchester United off the ball but did little otherwise. Elneny made a couple of good tackles, but also conceded some sloppy fouls.
Emile Smith Rowe - 6.5/10
His volley for Arsenal's opener was excellent, and hit with great power and accuracy. However, Smith Rowe couldn't impact the game sufficiently otherwise.
Martin Odegaard - 7/10
A huge threat to Manchester United with his movements, although he couldn't always find avenues to make the final pass. Odegaard brought Arsenal level with a well-taken goal but undid his own heroics by conceding a penalty. He also made a game-high four key passes on the night.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 6/10
Adventerous and industrious off the ball but devoid of ideas when in possession. Aubameyang missed another relatively easy chance and seemed to be lacking confidence at times.
Arsenal Substitutes
Bukayo Saka - 6/10
He looked to get involved after replacing Smith Rowe in the 70th minute but was largely ineffective.
Alexander Lacazette - 5/10
The Frenchman was totally anonymous after replacing Aubameyang in the 79th minute.
Edward Nketiah - 6/10
He won two ground duels and made two tackles, but offered precious little in attack after coming on for Odegaard in the 79th minute.
