Manchester United were frustratingly denied any points from their opening Premier League clash against Arsenal.
Despite a very impressive performance from Ruben Amorim’s side, Manchester United lost 1-0 to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
There was plenty of optimism from fans following a successful pre-season, but Riccardo Calafiori’s goal from a scrappy Arsenal corner gave Mikel Arteta’s side all three points.
While Benjamin Sesko had to wait until the second half to make his debut, Amorim put his faith in new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to start, and both put on sensational displays.
Mason Mount stands with hands on his hips as Manchester United face Arsenal.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
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Amorim fielded his new-look attack against Arsenal, and while it wasn’t enough to give United the win, the performances of Cunha and Mbeumo were very promising.
In particular, Mbeumo was a constant threat down United’s right, regularly beating Calafiori and combining well with Bruno Fernandes and Cunha.
However, it was on the other flank where Mason Mount stood out.
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Mount has been tipped to revive his United career this season, and his performance against Arsenal was a great start.
Amorim is a big admirer of Mount, and after his impressive performances in pre-season, he rewarded him with a start in the season opener.
His link-up play with Patrick Dorgu and Fernandes in particular was sharp, and Mount also provided a lot of quality in United’s press and defensive work. He faces a fierce fight for a spot in Amorim’s side this season, but he proved against Arsenal that he will provide stiff competition for the new arrivals.
Mason Mount stats for Man United vs Arsenal
Mount particularly impressed in the first half, with United’s No.7 replaced by Benjamin Sesko halfway through the second half.
At half-time of the match, United legend Gary Neville argued that Mount actually enjoyed “one of his best 45 minutes” since joining United.
The stats to Mount’s display prove that he was one of the side’s standout performers.
As per SofaScore, Mount took 34 touches of the ball and boasted a 78% pass success rate (21 out of 27).
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Mount’s energy is one of his biggest strengths, and he made seven sprints against the Gunners, reaching a top speed of 30.7 km/h.
With two key passes and two shot attempts, he was a threat in the final third and United fans can expect to see plenty more of him in the upcoming matches.