LONDON – Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League opening weekend match on Sunday.
Riccardo Calafiori, Italian defender Dscored the only goal by capitalizing on a huge mistake made by United’s stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
Arsenal VS Manchester United
Manchester United, who spent £200 million ($271 million) this summer to strengthen their attack by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, failed to convert their chances. Despite putting pressure on Arsenal’s normally solid centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, the new signings couldn’t find the net.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya played a decisive role, making several key saves — including a brilliant stop to deny Cunha’s close-range header and another to keep out Mbeumo.
Viktor Gyökeres struggled to make an impact on his Arsenal debut before Mikel Arteta replaced him with Kai Havertz, raising early questions about his role.
welcome for Sesko
At Old Trafford, Benjamin Šeško energized the game and earned warm applause from the home crowd, but Arsenal’s well-organised defence stopped him from breaking through.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, under pressure to deliver the club’s first Premier League title since 2004 after three straight second-place finishes, praised his team’s mentality. He said post-match, “Today wasn’t about style; it was about getting the job done.”
United, meanwhile, continue to struggle in attack. After scoring just 44 goals in 38 games last season and finishing 15th — their lowest league finish in 51 years — manager Ruben Amorim saw signs of progress in his team’s intensity but admitted results must improve quickly.
Arsenal edged Manchester United with a narrow win in the Premier League opening weekend, sent a strong message in the title race, and left United ruing missed opportunities and another costly defensive lapse.
