Cristiano Ronaldo recorded a milestone at the Emirates but it wasn't enough as Manchester United suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.
Ronaldo scored his 100th goal in the Premier League as Manchester United's Champions League hope suffered another major blow after a 3-1 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates.
The Gunners raced to a 2-0 lead in the opening half an hour thanks to goals from Tavares and a Bukayo Saka penalty. Ronaldo pulled one back in the 34th minute to reduce the deficit heading into the break.
The goal was his 16th of the current campaign but 100th in the Premier League, making him the oldest ever and the fourth Manchester United player to score a century of goals in the PL.
That goal also saw the Portuguese legend also become the fourth player to score 100 or more goals in two of Europe's top five leagues.
Arsenal continue incredible resurgence with another important victory
The Arsenal are back in the hunt for a top-four finish after the Gunners defeated rivals Manchester United 3-1 to register back-to-back victories in the PL.
Two first-half goals from Tavares and Bukayo Saka had the Mikel Arteta's side looking comfortable after 30 minutes. But Cristiano Ronaldo's 34th-minute goal ensured the game was delicately poised at the break.
Arsenal had a scare when the referee awarded United a spot-kick in the second half after Tavares handled the ball in the Arsenal box. However, Bruno Fernandes was unable to take advantage as he failed to convert from 12 yards.
Moments later, the Red Devils were made to rue that miss as Granit Xhaka capitalised on a loose ball to seal the win and three points with an excellent long-range effort in the 70th minute.
Back-to-back defeat for Ralf Rangick side, who are have now conceded seven goals in their last two matches in the PL. The Red Devils were also thrashed 4-0 against Liverpool in midweek.
What this result means for both teams
With the win, Arsenal are now back in contention for a Champions League place after consolidating on that impressive win over Chelsea in midweek.
The latest result sees them leapfrog North London rivals Tottenham to fourth on the league table with 60 points, three points above Spurs, who are at Brentford later today and six ahead of their defeated visitors, Manchester United.