ACE GRANIT ROCKS FADING

ARSENAL drove a stake through Manchester United’s Champions League hopes and boosted their own.

Nuno Tavares and, from the penalty spot, Bukayo Saka fired the Gunners into a two-goal lead before Cristiano Ronaldo put the grief of losing his baby son to one side to pull one back with a lovely finish, his 100th Premier League goal for the club.

United had already hit the woodwork through Diogo Dalot by that point, the Portuguese’s effort rattling the bar, and they struck it twice more after.

Firstly, when Bruno Fernandes’ penalty hit the outside of Aaron Ramsdale’s right-hand post and then again when Dalot’s shot was pushed on to the opposite upright by the Gunners keeper.

But Granit Xhaka’s sweet strike finally put the game beyond United and put the seal on a very good week for the Gunners after that win against Chelsea on Wednesday.

United fans will argue they deserved a draw and maybe they did based on the number of chances they created. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick rightly argued they deserved a penalty when Cedric Soares fell on the ball shortly before Arsenal’s second goal and that they could have had one when Tavares locked arms with Anthony Elanga.

He also felt the decision to rule out a second Ronaldo goal for offside was wrong.

But, having dropped Harry Maguire after a difficult week for the defender on and off the field, they were rickety at the back.

And a number of blunders, including failed attempts to clear the ball by Raphael Varane and Alex Telles leading to Tavares’ opener, cost them dear.

The best in-coming boss Erik ten Hag can now hope for is a spot in the Europa League