The Gunners' Italian maestro got the clincher but their £64 million summer signing struggled as they edged the Red Devils on their own patch
Arsenal won only their third game at Old Trafford since 2006 with a battling 1-0 victory in their Premier League opener on Sunday.
After a blood and thunder start, the visitors took the lead in the 13th minute when Altay Bayindir flapped at a Declan Rice corner, under pressure from William Saliba, and Riccardo Calafiori headed in from a foot out. Despite having the lead, Arsenal looked vulnerable on the counter, particularly when their full-backs bombed forward, and had it not been for the post, Patrick Dorgu's 20-yard rocket would have made it 1-1.
Martin Odegaard stung the hands of Bayindir, who was preferred to Andre Onana in goal, when he jinked his way through some would-be defenders as the Gunners captain looked to banish the memories of an underwhelming 2024/25 season. Arsenal, who didn't assert the control they would have liked in the first half, were indebted to goalkeeper David Raya shortly before the break as his fingertip reaction save denied the lively Matheus Cunha from a tight angle.
Arsenal continued to be on the back foot after the interval but for all of United's huff and puff, Raya wasn't tested enough - although he had to be alert to keep out Mbeumo's goalbound header. The Gunners finally mustered a shot on goal when Rice's free-kick hit the side-netting but most of the action was happening at the other end.
It was telling that the man of the match was Raya as Mikel Arteta's men, who have now 31 goals from corners since the start of the 2023/24 season, secured all three points in an unconvincing fashion.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Old Trafford...