Manchester United beat Arsenal 2-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday to bring to an end the Gunners record-breaking run of 49 unbeaten English top-flight games.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, with a 73rd minute penalty, scored the first goal of the game after Wayne Rooney had been brought down by Sol Campbell.
Rooney, on his 19th birthday, then scored the second in injury time.
Despite the defeat, defending champions Arsenal stay top of the Premiership with 25 points, two ahead of Chelsea, while United moved up to fifth place, eight points behind their bitter rivals.
Sunday’s defeat was Arsenal’s first in the league since they lost to Leeds at Highbury in May, 2003.
Van Nistelrooy’s penalty was all the more impressive as it was his miss from the spot, eight games into Arsenal’s run, that saw the Gunners escape with a 0-0 draw in the stormy corresponding fixture last season.
But it was a controversial decision by referee Mike Riley to award United a penalty after Campbell appeared to make minimal contact at best with England team-mate Rooney.
Afterwards Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: ”I think we were a little bit robbed. I didn’t think there was any contact at all,” the Frenchman added.
”I’m very disappointed because we were the better side. We had lots of chances but the referee’s decision made the difference. From nowhere, Riley has decided the game.”
United manager Alex Ferguson said he didn’t have a clear view of the penalty incident.
”I think if someone is brought down in the penalty area, it’s a penalty kick,” said the Scot.
”The win is a tremendous boost for us. If we continue to work as hard as that, we will get results.”
Elsewhere Newcastle came through a seven-goal thriller to defeat Manchester City 4-3 and move into sixth place.
In the day’s other two Premiership matches, Portsmouth rose to 11th place with a rare away-point following a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough while Southampton crept off the bottom thanks to a goalless draw at home to Birmingham.
At St James’ Park, Craig Bellamy’s 89th minute goal earned Newcastle all three points in an extraordinary see-saw match.
Goals early in the second half from Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer put Newcastle 2-0 up. But City made it 2-2 with Shaun Wright-Phillips and Robbie Fowler netting in the space of three minutes before Robbie Elliott restored Newcastle’s lead in the 69th minute.
Wright-Phillips levelled the match at 3-3 in the 77th minute before Bellamy, who had a foul-mouthed rant at Newcastle manager Graeme Souness after being substituted last week, settled the match a minute from time.
”Craig has made the headlines for the right reasons today [Sunday],” Souness said.
”The two of us will have our moments in the future, but the fact he wants to win is not in doubt.”
Dejected City boss Kevin Keegan, himself a former Newcastle player and manager, slammed the performance of referee Steve Dunn.
”He got too many decisions wrong and had a major impact on the game.”
At Middlesbrough, Portsmouth took the lead through Diomansy Kamara’s fifth minute goal and looked like holding on for all three points until Stewart Downing’s 74th minute equaliser.
On the south coast, both sides had chances but Southampton, still searching for a first win under coach Steve Wigley, at least had the consolation of moving above relegation rivals Norwich and newly-bottom Blackburn albeit on goal difference. – Sapa-AFP