It was not very beautiful or fluent, but the victory of Arsenal on the opening day in Manchester United brought what they say in Golf – there are no photos on score cards and no greater irrelevance than the details of how a ball found the hole.
For Mikel Arteta there would be a degree of justification if he wanted to see Sunday's 1-0 win in almost the same way, although it would not necessarily be useful.
It was a fantastic start in the game of the numbers, but not so good.
That may seem like nitpicking, but on such details a title can be won or lost, which means that there will also be an internal reflex in London Colney to explore their day more extensively.
About the immaterial quality of resilience, they showed it in abundance of Old Trafford against a united side that benefited from a sublime atmosphere and the twin threat of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. But there will also be the question for Arteta about how his party United allowed to dominate and threaten with such a regularity, while the same qualities were remarkably missing in the team that actually won.
Determining those corrections during the next 10 months will be the key to break through their series almost -missers.
Viktor gyokeres and delivery lines
Final conclusions based on an hour of football would be extremely crazy. But it is also honest to say that this was nothing close to the kind of Premier League debut where he would have become, which is why he only lasted 60 minutes before he was immersed.
There were promising elements in his game, which were mainly reduced to his working speed and physicality. Arsenal has long been susceptible to a place of bullying over the years, but the sight of Matthijs de Ligt bounces from the frame of the Swede and touching the deck would suggest that they have a striker who can answer rough questions.
But they have not paid £ 64 million for a batter and the more fundamental qualities of his game were missing here. This can be told by a series of unflatter statistics: 22 touches, nine passes, Nulschoten.
Part of the debt for such unfavorable contributions can be aimed at Bukayo Saka, who has not opened a supply route. It is to be expected that two of such talented, intelligent players will have a productive relationship much earlier than later, but they were active on different thinking patterns at Old Trafford. The runs and fits never seemed to be alive.
If there was a low point for Gyokeres, it came in the 51st minute when he was released by Martin Odegaard in space, but the ball overturned to his and then polluted Casemiro in an attempt to win it back.
“He did a lot of things very well,” said Arteta. “He didn't have so many opportunities in the finish situations, because before we had to play that last ball, we stood still.”
Checking the center and unlocking Zubimendi
If there was a theme of the first half, it came from the regularity with which United was able to burst through the middle. That will be a concern for Arteta, not least because Martin Zubimendi has arrived with the justified reputation as one of the world's best defensive midfielders.
Initially, the Spaniard was slow to follow the deeper runs and intentions of Cunha, which in turn allocated the United Forward Full-Speed costs at Arsenal's exposed center backs. Just like the dynamics of Gyokeres with Saka in the front, it is expected that Zubimendi and Declan Rice can form in a formidable link in that sofa of three with Odegaard.
There were signs here in the second half that they were already adapting. Zubimendi was neat and intelligent on the ball. He is one of those players who will attract lazy grin for his volume short deliveries, but it was also remarkable that no one on the field succeeded more than his six line breakers in the first period. His quality will shine throughout the season.
Martinelli's problem
Gabriel Martinelli was largely not effective and supported the concept that Arteta is willing to let him leave. The concern is that Noni Madueke didn't offer much anymore when he replaced him.
There were a few occasions where Odegaard looked to the left to direct an attack, only to see that Martinelli had not expected on the maneuver.
Saka turned to go well instead, became a more predictable outlet and United seemed wise to the pattern.
The wings and dangerous life
It would be hard to add Riccardo Calafiori on a day on which he scored the winner, albeit from less distance than the average school ruler, but his adventures of the wing from the left felt like an accident that waits.
Mbeumo and Diogo Dalot mainly exploited the holes and on another day it could have punished the arsenal.
Used correctly, the engine of Calafiori and Bursts are an asset, but there must also be a sense of caution and consciousness of the game state of his accusations on points when his teammates hung back, which caused a vulnerability where nobody had to exist.