United sink Arsenal to kickstart season

Manchester United reinvigorated their Premier League title defence by winning 1-0 at home to leaders Arsenal on Sunday to close to within five points of the early-season pace-setters.Robin van Persie claimed the games only goal in the first half, scoring against his former club for the third match running, to condemn Arsene Wengers side to a first league loss since their defeat by Aston Villa on the opening day.Victory allowed United to climb to fifth in the table, with defeats for Tottenham Hotspur and local rivals Manchester City earlier in the day enabling them to move above both of their fellow title contenders.Having seen his side pick up just a point from earlier games against Chelsea, Liverpool and City, United manager David Moyes will hope Sundays victory marks the end of an awkward bedding-in period at Old Trafford.He will also have drawn strong encouragement from the performance of Phil Jones, who began the game in midfield but deputised magnificently at centre-back after Nemanja Vidic had to go off through injury.Arsenal remain top going into the international break, two points above Liverpool, but having overseen an impressive win at Borussia Dortmund in mid-week, Wenger is likely to have been concerned by their toothlessness.Illness deprived Arsenal of the services of centre-back Per Mertesacker, with Thomas Vermaelen deputising, while Mathieu Flamini replaced Tomas Rosicky after overcoming a groin problem.United made four changes to the team held 0-0 by Real Sociedad in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Jonny Evans, Michael Carrick, Jones and Van Persie coming into the side.The stakes, and the opposition, made for an untypically raucous atmosphere inside Old Trafford and the home side made a vigorous start.Chances were scarce in the games early stages, save for a deflected Wayne Rooney effort that was comfortably saved by Wojciech Szczesny, but in the 27th minute, United struck.Rooney curled a corner into the box from the left and Van Persie stole between Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud to glance a header over defender Kieran Gibbs and into the top-right corner.

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United sink Arsenal to kickstart season