Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half header from a Declan Rice corner proved the difference as Arsenal edged a 1-0 win at Manchester United, though Mikel Arteta’s side looked far from convincing in their season opener.
The Gunners were sloppy in possession, wasteful on the break and reliant on man-of-the-match David Raya to keep the hosts at bay. Still, three points at Old Trafford is never to be sniffed at.
#### **First Half**
Mikel Arteta went with a bold, attacking lineup, clearly intent on having Arsenal take the game to United. What he perhaps didn’t bargain for was a home side who looked far more organised than last season, buoyed by a crowd eager to believe in Ruben Amorim’s new era.
The hosts started sharply, Mount leading the line with the busy Cunha and Mbeumo buzzing around him. Their plan was obvious: move the ball forward quickly, pepper Arsenal’s back line with long balls, and keep us pegged back. It worked too. In the opening 10 minutes, we managed only eight completed passes, panic evident every time we tried to play out.
A neat Mount pass inside Calafiori freed Mbeumo for a low strike that Raya gathered, setting the tone. At the other end, new signing Viktor Gyokeres found himself on the receiving end of constant jeers as De Ligt got the better of their early duels. Dorgu flashed one wide, Saliba picked up a word from referee Simon Hooper after clattering the same player, before we finally exposed United’s well-worn Achilles heel: set-pieces.
Calafiori and Odegaard combined to win a corner on 13 minutes. Rice’s delivery was dropped right on top of keeper Bayindir, who flapped under pressure from Saliba, and Calafiori nodded home from a yard out. ([GOAL 1-0](https://streamff.com/v/c3489a6b))
The goal gave us a foothold, though there were still wobbles. Saliba and Gabriel looked rusty playing out from the back, and while Odegaard and Zubimendi began knitting things together, too many promising breaks fell apart thanks to poor passing – with Martinelli and the captain both culpable.
United hit back. Fernandes whipped a free-kick into the wall after a nudge from Zubimendi. Dorgu cracked the outside of Raya’s post with a thunderous drive, Cunha tested the Spaniard a couple of times, then forced a superb low stop after spinning Rice in the box.
We still looked dangerous on the counter, but the lack of composure in the final ball was maddening. Gyokeres finally delivered something inviting towards Martinelli, only for the Brazilian to completely miss his attempted overhead. Calafiori also picked up a silly yellow for tugging Mbeumo.
It made for an entertaining, end-to-end half, played at a furious pace but littered with mistakes. As Odegaard admitted to Sky at the break: “We let them play too easily through us at times…it’s been a bit too hectic at times.”
#### **Second Half**
Despite Odegaard’s words at the break, composure was still in short supply when the second half got underway. Both sides flew into challenges, conceded cheap fouls, and generally looked more interested in winning a scrap than a football match. The result was a messy, stop-start affair.
Gyokeres, who had found the first 45 minutes tough going, didn’t help his cause when finally released down the left. Instead of making something happen, he lost possession, bundled into his marker, and earned himself another round of mocking chants from the home fans.
Sensing an opportunity, Amorim made the first move, introducing Amad for Dalot. Almost immediately, United were on the front foot again. Fernandes clipped a pass through for Mbeumo, but Gabriel recovered well to win the foot race. Moments later, Saliba tripped Cunha on the edge of the box. Fernandes took responsibility from the set piece, whipping goalwards, only for Raya to parry solidly away.
Arteta responded with a double change: Martinelli and Gyokeres off, Madueke and Havertz on. The reshuffle gave us more presence in attack, and Saka started to come alive. A neat exchange with Odegaard and Havertz opened space on the far side, where Calafiori pulled back for Rice, whose shot was smothered in the nick of time.
United countered with more fresh legs. Ugarte and Sesko replaced Casemiro and Mount. There was a nervy moment when Zubimendi shinned the ball against his own arm in the box, sparking hopeful penalty appeals from the home crowd. Referee Simon Hooper wasn’t interested.
Still, the warning signs were there. Cunha repeatedly drove through midfield unchecked, while Mbeumo buzzed around with menace, flashing an overhead kick narrowly wide and drawing sharp intakes of breath from the Stretford End. Arsenal were living dangerously, and Arteta knew it.
Ben White gave his teammates a breather by staying down after a heavy challenge, then he and Calafiori were hooked for Timber and Lewis-Skelly. The reshuffle stiffened the back line but carried more than a whiff of damage limitation.
United kept pressing. Mbeumo forced Raya into a smart save with a header before Sesko headed wide. As the game ticked into the final 15 minutes, the Gunners looked unlikely to wrestle back any control. Amad cut inside onto his left, only to shoot tamely at Raya. The keeper’s immediate instinct was to go long for an isolated Havertz, who couldn’t make it stick, and back came United once more. It really was backs to the wall.
Amad went down under Lewis-Skelly’s challenge only to see his penalty appeals waved away. Maguire entered for Shaw and promptly clattered Havertz to concede a dangerous free-kick. Rice stepped up, curled around the wall, and found only the side-netting via a deflection. His race run, on came Merino. The ensuing corner fizzled out.
Dorgu went into the book for chopping down Timber, while Raya followed for time-wasting at the free-kick. Ugarte then slashed a wild effort miles off target, much to the fury of the Stretford End. Desperate blocks from Saliba and Merino were required as United threw bodies forward in search of a leveller.
Six minutes of injury time were greeted by roars from the home fans. Timber was booked for more time-wasting. Arsenal were hanging on.
There was nearly a sting in the tail. Odegaard slipped a gorgeous dinked pass into Saka, who saw his shot deflected behind by de Ligt. From the corner, the Gunners tried to keep the ball, but Lewis-Skelly got himself in a muddle and cynically hauled down Mbeumo, earning another yellow.
United’s last corner came to nothing. Raya was quick to release Odegaard, who found Saka. He could have headed for the corner flag, but instead crossed for Madueke, who came inches from converting. No matter. Seconds later, the whistle blew.
Old Trafford groaned, the United fans sang defiantly, and the points went south.
Arteta will take the win, no question. But he’ll also know his side will need to sharpen up considerably before Leeds come to town next weekend.