Arsenal strike late to keep pressure on City as United held
LONDON: Arsenal struck late to beat Nottingham Forest and keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday, while struggling Manchester United dropped more points in a draw at Leeds.
The Gunners faced Forest a day after pacesetters City celebrated a seventh win out of seven at home to Ipswich, shrugging off the fallout following the club’s guilty verdict for serious financial irregularities.
Defending champions Arsenal huffed and puffed against Oliver Glasner’s struggling side but finally secured the breakthrough when substitute Noni Madueke’s effort found the net in the 80th minute after a deflection off Jair Cunha.
That was the only shot on target in the entire game for the under-par Gunners.
Forest defender Murillo went close to a sensational equaliser in stoppage time after jinking his way into the box, but Arsenal held on for a 1-0 win, taking them three points behind City.
“We did it all together,” Madueke told Sky Sports. “We showed great determination and I think we showed a champion spirit here tonight, so really pleased.”
UNITED WINLESS RUN
Earlier, Manchester United travelled to the home of bitter rivals Leeds desperate to find a spark but were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw after Dominic Calvert-Lewin cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half opener.
United now have just one win in seven league games this season and are winless in their past six matches in all competitions.
United manager Michael Carrick — in his first full season in charge — is scrambling for answers, with his team looking short of quality and confidence.
The sense of a growing crisis at Old Trafford was exacerbated by a midweek outburst from defender Lisandro Martinez, who took aim at the United hierarchy after a 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Carrick chose to focus on the positives after Sunday’s game at Elland Road, insisting that the draw was a step in the right direction.
“If there’s any weakness, it gets found out today,” he told Sky Sports.
“I could feel before the game that the players were ready for it. It wasn’t perfect, our confidence isn’t sky-high, but the players were trying to do the right things.
“In moments we looked really good. Defended really well as a team.”
Argentina centre-back Martinez gave an explosive interview in Spain on Tuesday during which he criticised the lack of investment in the summer transfer window.
Carrick insisted on Friday that United had “moved on” from the incident and Martinez was named in the starting line-up at Elland Road.
Mbeumo, playing as United’s target man, wasted a couple of chances but broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when he guided a Youri Tielemans cross into the bottom corner for his fourth goal of the season.
Leeds put the visitors under sustained pressure after the break and were level in the 51st minute when England forward Calvert-Lewin controlled the ball on his chest and finished at full stretch after Tarik Muharemovic’s header from a corner.
Carrick made attacking substitutions in search of a winner, bringing on Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha, but neither side could make the breakthrough.
United, in 13th spot, have their fewest wins at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1986/87.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Brighton humbled Crystal Palace 5-0, including a sensational Diego Gomez effort from the halfway line.
Fabian Hurzeler’s team were three goals up inside 10 minutes after an own goal from Palace defender Jaydee Canvot, Gomez’s spectacular effort, and a strike from Yasin Ayari.
Further goals from Charalampos Kostoulas and substitute Jack Hinshelwood in the second half deepened Palace’s pain.
Only three sides in Premier League history have scored more goals in their first seven games of a season than Brighton’s haul of 23 in the current campaign.
Bournemouth beat 10-man Sunderland 2-0 with goals from Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson for their first league win of the season.
Late on Saturday Johan Manzambi’s early goal secured Aston Villa’s victory at Newcastle, their second of the season.
Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2026
