Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tasted domestic defeat for the first time as Manchester United lost to Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates.
United produced one of the great European comebacks to overcome Paris St Germain in the French capital in midweek, but their return to Premier League action saw them lose to the hard-fighting Gunners.
The Gunners jumped United to the top four courtesy of Granit Xhaka’s strike and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty.
Solskjaer had won 13 and drawn two of his previous 15 league and cup fixtures since succeeding Jose Mourinho in mid-December but they fell behind at the Emirates Stadium in the 12th minute.
Xhaka’s strike from distance swerved through the air to wrong-foot United goalkeeper David De Gea, who motioned to his team-mates that he had been deceived by the movement in the swirling wind in north London.
Both teams went close thereafter with Fred hitting a post but the United midfielder clumsily pulled over Alexandre Lacazette in the penalty area referee John Moss pointed to the spot.
Aubameyang scored from the resulting spot-kick in the 70th minute as he atoned for his last-gasp penalty miss against Tottenham last weekend.
At Stamford Bridge, Eden Hazard scored in the second minute of stoppage time to rescue a 1-1 draw for Chelsea against Wolverhampton.
Raul Jimenez’s 56th-minute effort was his third goal in his last four games and seemed set to increase the pressure on Blues manager Maurizio Sarri.
But Hazard ensured Chelsea avoided defeat and the draw left them three points off the top four.
Liverpool moved back to within one point of league leaders Manchester City but were forced to come from behind to see off struggling Burnley 4-2.
The Clarets, just two points above the drop zone, had lost their last two matches but Ashley Westwood’s sixth-minute effort stunned Anfield.
Roberto Firmino drew Liverpool level in the 19th minute before Sadio Mane scored just before the half hour as the Reds took control.
Firmino bagged his second in the 67th minute to give Liverpool breathing room and though Johann Berg Gudmundsson seemed to set up a nervy finale when he scored in added time, Mane restored the two-goal cushion.
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