Manchester United all but ended Arsenal's hopes of taking the title with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.



The Gunners took the lead through Emmanuel Adebayor at the start of the second half, but were eventually beaten by a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a fabulous free-kick from Owen Hargreaves.


With their title dreams hanging in the balance before the match got underway, it came as no surprise that it was the visitors who started the brightest and forced the pace of the game during the opening exchanges.


Cesc Fabregas flashed a couple of early efforts narrowly past the frame of Edwin van der Sar's goal, while Emmanuel Adebayor wasted the best of the Gunners' chances.


Wayne Rooney looked lively, if slightly isolated, up front for United and it was he who went closest for the Red Devils during a goalless opening period.


In a game which had promised goals throughout the first half, it took just three minutes of the second period for a breakthrough to be made.


Van Persie swung over a dangerous cross from the left, which Van der Sar then inexplicably let drift past him straight to Adebayor. The Togolese hit man appeared to bundle the ball home with his arm, but the goal stood and the Gunners had a deserved lead.


However, United's response was almost immediate as they levelled things up just five minutes later.


William Gallas was adjudged to have used his arm to cut out a Carrick pass, enabling Ronaldo to calmly dispatch a twice-taken penalty low into the corner of the net.


Once back on level terms United looked the most likely to snatch all three points, and duly obliged when Hargreaves curled a sublime free-kick past a stranded Lehmann on 72 minutes.


Wes Brown then deflected a Gael Clichy cross onto his own post, and Nicklas Bendtner went close with two far post headers, but the Gunners were ultimately unable to force a second.