Rooney Still Backs Arsenal as Title Favourites Despite Red Devils Upset at Emirates

Wayne Rooney has weighed in on the title race following Manchester United's impressive 3-2 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, a result that snapped the Gunners' 13-game unbeaten league run and marked their first home defeat of the campaign.

The loss arrives at a costly moment for Mikel Arteta's side. With Manchester City and Aston Villa both securing wins over the weekend, Arsenal's lead at the summit has been trimmed to just four points—a significant compression in what was once a more comfortable position.

United's winning goals came from Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha, with Arsenal struggling to muster attacking threat and appearing bereft of tactical solutions throughout a frustrating afternoon.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Rooney acknowledged United's second-half dominance and the visitors' deserved comeback. "I thought second half Manchester United were excellent and deserved the win," he reflected. "Arsenal were a bit nervy and started the second half on the back foot. United took advantage of that, looked dangerous, defended really well and deserved to win."

The Manchester United legend was equally complimentary of interim boss Michael Carrick, who took charge last week. "It's been great for Michael—two wins out of two against Manchester City and Arsenal. I don't think he would have dreamt of that start when he took over. You've seen a complete change in everything really since he's been in. He will be delighted."

Yet despite Arsenal's wobble, Rooney stopped short of writing them off. "I think Arsenal are still title favourites," he stated. "But it will be a concern for Arteta what's happened in the last three games against Liverpool, Forest and now Manchester United. But I still think they're probably slight favourites."

Cunha, the match-winner, offered his own perspective on the encounter. "I think we showed character and power in the group," he explained. "We know what to expect coming here. I think it's the best team in the world today, honestly. They play with Mikel so long, they know every single tactic, every single thing that he feels, so we know how hard it will be to come here, but we are United and everything we do is to win the games."

The Brazilian also highlighted Carrick's influence, noting the interim manager's ability to unite the squad. "He knows the feeling, he played here so many years," Cunha said. "He knows how the fans want to feel. He tried to show us every single moment, tried to talk to us and understand, saying 'everyone is against us', so I think we feel more together."