By Chidinma Nwaoji
Arsenal Edge Man United 1-0 at Old Trafford
Arsenal began their Premier League campaign on a strong note with a narrow 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
A costly mistake from United’s stand-in goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, gifted Arsenal’s new signing, Riccardo Calafiori, the only goal of the encounter, frustrating the hosts’ revamped frontline.
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Despite lively performances from debutants Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, United’s attack assembled for nearly £200 million struggled to break down Arsenal’s solid defence. Substitute Benjamin Sesko also failed to make an impact against the Gunners, who previously showed interest in signing the Slovenian striker.
For Arsenal, the victory offered a positive start as manager Mikel Arteta chases the club’s first league title in two decades, having finished runners-up for three consecutive seasons.
United, on the other hand, are looking to bounce back from last season’s nightmare campaign, where they managed just 44 goals and slumped to their lowest finish in over half a century15th place.
At a packed Old Trafford, United’s new boss, Ruben Amorim, saw glimpses of improvement as his side pressed high and troubled Arsenal’s usually composed centre-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba in the opening exchanges.
However, their progress was undone by Bayindir’s error while deputising for injured first-choice goalkeeper, Andre Onana.
Speaking after the match, Amorim said he was encouraged by his team’s performance despite the result.
“I’m really proud of the boys. They showed bravery throughout the game and deserved more. We were aggressive, pressed well, and had quality on the ball. Today, I believe we were the better team, but we must be stronger in crucial moments,” he told Sky Sports.
Amorim added that the team must focus on adapting to the Premier League’s demands and quickly turn improved performances into wins.
“We have the players to beat anyone in this league. It’s about consistency, ignoring the noise, and staying focused on winning games,” he said.
