The header of Riccardo Calafiori saw Arsenal Edge after a 1-0 win against Manchester United in their Premier League opener, even though Ruben Amorim's side looked much improved.
2025/2026 Premier League
0-1
- Calafiori (13 ')
Match report
After a summer of feverish activity on the transfer market, it seems that nothing has changed at all.
Manchester United still can't score goals – and they still admit stupid.
Arsenal is still not much fun to look at, but are still good in set pieces and still quite effective in pinching results.
The eternal number two of Mikel Arteta reigned thanks to a shocking error from Altay Bayindir, who fluttered to a corner, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to push an early, decisive header over the line.
Yet United was the better team of a national mile, except for those two recurring themes – scoring and admitted goals.
If only football matches were not determined by such trivialities, the men of Ruben Amorim would not be defeated as often.
The new boys Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha from United were seriously impressive on debut, while Arsenal's Viktor Gyokoreres and Martin Zubimendi were far from the pace.
Benjamin Sesko arrived like a second half sub, but he had no sniff with the goal.
There was very little that was impressive about Arsenal, except for reading the names of their substitutes.
Arteta now has a serious deep team that will serve him well this season.
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For United, however, the performance was heartwarming; The result depressing.
It was an opening weekend collision between the almost men of the Premier League and are nowhere who are not.
Both clubs had organized important recruitment drives – Arsenal finally drew a striker, while Amorim was able to stamp something of his own identity in this united team.
The head-to-head between the two most shiny new center-forces of the Premier League was canceled on the basis of the £ 74 million men Sesko from United from the bank.
Yet very old traffic seemed to have read the memo with regard to optimism for the season.
At the end of Stretford and the believers, the banners were out of their united roadsment for the kick -off, with the theater bathed in alien mancunian sunshine.
And United were impressively spicy – tackling and running as if they meant it, Mbeumo Bullish, Mason Mount played with the impatience of a man with the time to come up with.
Arsenal had looked slow and filthy, second for too many balls.
So, of course, United has usually admitted a stupid goal.
Declan Rice waved over a corner, Bayindir – under pressure from William Saliba – fluttered weak and Calafiori ran across the line to closely save the Turk from the shame of its own goal.
“Set piece again, ole, ole,” the traveling gooners squeaked.
Bayindir had previously had things like this – especially in Tottenham in the Carabao Cup last season – and Arsenal too.
Nevertheless, United continued to look like the more targeted team. Bruno Fernandes was polluted on the edge of the area by Zubimendi, who looked like a man who was sleeping in the fast lane of a highway.
Patrick Dorgu ping a low long-ranger against the post and then Cunha burst through three Arsenal players, wore on goal but shot directly on David Raya.
Raya then became a Cunha cross-shot wide and Arsenal entered during the break, but without one of their outfield players performing well.
Amad Diallo replaced Diogo Dalot early in the second half – and then Arteta Kai Havertz sent instead of Gyokeres, who had done very little on his Premier League debut, except for a few people.
Noni Madueke also arrived instead of Gabriel Martinelli, whose anonymity had been extreme.
Sesko arrived at the hour to a huge ovation – as well as a few catcalls from the end.
Cunha Vilde soon Ben White and fed Mbeumo, but the Run of the Cameroonian was blocked before he sent an acrobatic shot wide.
Arteta attracted both his struggling full-backs-sent Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The most impressive thing about Arsenal was the power of their bank.
Yet Baasen United it. The cross of Dorgu was met with a downward header from Mbeumo that Raya extended in an excellent salvation.
Lewis-Skelly received a yellow card for chopping Mbeumo to thwart a United attack.
Arsenal does the ugly things well. United did some beautiful things well. And in that kind of scenario usually wins ugly.
Match -Events
0 'The game is about to start!
0 'Rest in Vrede, Diogo and Andre
0 'Thomas Tuchel is seen to view the game
2 'Mbeumo Clothing Rules Zubimendi and gets away with it
7 'Mbeumo's Scot wide out
7 'Highlight of Man Utd vs Arsenal
9 'Dangerous error from Saliba
13 'Classic Corner Tactic! Calafiori went to break the net! Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal
16 'Zubimendi takes Bruno down
24 'Cunha thinks he should have a penalty after he has been brought down by Raya
24 'Mbeumo has blocked a shot by the defender
26 'Bad shot from Martinelli after a promising movement by Arsenal
27 'Sesko on the couch
29 'Match event for Man Utd vs Arsenal
30 'Close! Dorgu hits the mail!
31 'Martinelli with another miss
33 'Cunha goes directly into the box, but his shot is stored
35 'Odegaard has a chance, but Bayındır saves it
39 'closes again! Cunha's shot denied by Raya from a tight corner
42 'yellow card! Calafiori booked
45 'Gyökeres again, but sent widely over the cross
51 'United Hold Gyökeres in the box and he eventually admits a free kick
54 'Amad On; Dalot off
60 'Rice's shot flies to Sky
60 'Havertz on; Gyökeres
64 'Šeško started for his PL debut & Ugarte also comes up; Mount & Casemiro Off
68 'Brilliant work by Cunha, but well defending by Gabriel
70 'Mbeumo-Overheadkick Net Wide after another lung breakage of Cunha
73 'Raya Save full length to avert Mbeumo header
77 'Dallo's shot is stored!
79 'No punishment for Man United!
80 'Shaw is picked up, Maguire on
81 'Close! Not enough bend on the free kick of rice
85 'yellow card! Patrick Dorgu booked
87 'Ugarte wasted the chance with a bad shot
89 'Cunha enters the box, but the referee does not say a penalty!
93 'yellow card! Lewis-Skelly booked
94 'Highlight of Man Utd vs Arsenal
Line-ups
Man Utd XI: Casemiro, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Mount, Altay Bayındır, De Ligt, Dalot, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoro, Patrick Dorgugu
Subs: Heaton, Maguire, Ugarte, Zirkzee, Benjamin Sesko, Amad Diallo Traore, Mainoo, Tyler Fredricson, Ayden Heaven
Arsenal XI: David Raya, Ødegaard, Rice, Viktor Gyökkeres, Gabriel, Ben White, MartÃn Zubimendi, Martinelli, Saliba, Saka, Calafiori
Subs: Trossard, Kepa, Merino, Havertz, Madueke, Timber, Crithian Mosquera, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly