Red Devils Defy the Guns: Manchester United-Arsenal 2-1 [SLIDESHOW]

The intense race to the Premier League championship appears to be a purely Manchester affair once again. Within hours of current leaders Manchester City establishing a clear, six-point edge over bitter rivals Manchester United, United reduced the gap to three points after beating Arsenal 2-1 in a crucial match at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday night.

Antonio Valencia scored the opener at the end of a low-key first half. But the Gunners managed to draw level with Robin van Persie scoring on 71 minutes with a clinical finish. The Red Devils eventually managed to overcome the Arsenal challenge with a late winner (81 minutes) netted by Danny Welbeck.

The third straight Premier League defeat is likely to make things tougher for Arsene Wenger. His 74minute decision to substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with Andrey Arshavin doesn't seem to have gone well with his captain. Van Persie appeared to be openly expressing disgust at his boss when the decision was conveyed.

Here are the highlights from the action: