Arsenal reduced Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points with a crucial win against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.

After Fabian Schär’s late equalizer prevented Liverpool from winning at St. James’ Park, Mikel Arteta’s team had the chance to move ever closer to the summit.

And the Gunners didn’t disappoint, with Jurriën Timber and William Saliba both scoring corners in the second half to give the hosts a win that kept their title hopes alive.

A draw in Ipswich was followed by home wins against Bodø/Glimt and Everton warned Ruben Amorim that his unbeaten start to life at Old Trafford could be unsettled by a “storm”. However, the opening phase at the Emirates was a turbulent affair. Gabriel Martinelli had the ball in the net after just four minutes, but Kai Havertz was clearly offside beforehand.

A quintet lined up at the far post for one of Arsenal’s four corners in the first half. The chance came at the front post, but Thomas Partey couldn’t do anything significant with Declan Rice’s pass – the ball went harmlessly wide of the goal.

Arsenal’s best chance of the first period came with 30 minutes left when Martinelli sent Oleksandr Zinchenko’s blocked shot wide.

Moments later the hosts wanted a penalty when Bukayo Saka’s cross hit Harry Maguire on the thigh. Although Arsenal took every opportunity, the best shot of the first 45 minutes fell to United when Diogo Dalot fired his shot over David Raya’s goal when he should have tested the Spaniard.

Two minutes into the second half, Martinelli got the home crowd on its feet when he found space on the left, but the Brazilian’s shot deflected off Maguire and into the arms of André Onana. Sixty seconds later, Rice’s shot bounced off Mason Mount for a corner.

Arsenal had signaled their intention and within nine minutes of the start of the second half they made a breakthrough. Timber leaned against Rasmus Højlund at the front post before directing Rice’s free kick into Onana’s net. Saka then saved Onana flat as the home crowd felt blood.

United’s cavalry came on after an hour with Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee – both on the bench having scored a brace each against Everton last Sunday. And his first touch almost ended up in his own net when his header flew over his own goal from another Rice corner.

United had no answer. The storm Amorim had predicted had arrived on time. But despite the way the game went, the guests were almost level after 66 minutes.

A tired Zinchenko brought down Amad Diallo and from the ensuing set piece, Raya made a world-class flying save to parry Matthijs De Ligt’s header with his left claw. And just seven minutes later, Arsenal doubled their lead.

After a corner from Saka, Partey landed unchallenged at the back post and his header deflected off Saliba’s shoulder.

It was Arsenal’s 22nd goal from a corner since the start of last season. No team in the division can boast more. Arteta and the club’s set-piece guru Nicolas Jover hugged on the touchline while Amorim was left with his head in his hands.

Havertz might have put the game out of sight at the restart, only to fire his shot at Onana before substitute Mikel Merino’s header went narrowly wide from a Saka corner.

It didn’t matter to the Gunners, however, as they easily took three points and condemned Amorim to his first defeat as United manager.