Arsenal have started the season with a victory, beating Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s winner.
Arsenal saw title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City pick up all three points in their opening games of the season.
It’s only the first weekend, but Arsenal will have wanted to match those results with a victory of their own.
The Gunners duly obliged, as Riccardo Calafiori nodded home the winning goal in the first half.
Altay Bayindir flapped at Declan Rice’s corner kick, allowing Calafiori to score what proved to be the winner.
Arsenal weren’t particularly fluent going forward, but kept the door shut at the back to record a clean sheet and all three points.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres applauds fans at Old Trafford
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Winner: David Raya
This wasn’t exactly a vintage Arsenal performance, so a clean sheet was absolutely vital.
David Raya certainly played his part in Arsenal keeping United at bay, producing a couple of fine saves against the Red Devils.
Raya’s save to deny Matheus Cunha in the first half was a thing of beauty, clawing his goal-bound shot away with incredible reflexes.
The Spaniard then denied Bryan Mbeumo, expertly pushing his header away from goal to start the season with a clean sheet – and strengthen his case to be regarded as the Premier League’s top stopper.
Loser: Viktor Gyokeres
Look, it’s only one game, and nobody is writing Viktor Gyokeres off at this early stage; it would be foolish to do so.
This wasn’t a particularly impressive display from Gyokeres, though, as he never really looked like scoring.
Summer signing Gyokeres had the better of Leny Yoro physically, but the goal threat just wasn’t there from Arsenal’s new striker.
Mikel Arteta brought Kai Havertz on for Gyokeres before the hour mark, and we may see some heavy rotation in Arsenal’s attack while the Swede settles in.
Winner: Nicolas Jover
Arsenal were menacing from dead balls in the first half of last season as set-piece coach Nicolas Jover lapped up the praise, but the goals dried up a little in the second half of the campaign.
Part of that may have been down to Gabriel’s absence through injury, with the Brazilian posing a huge threat in the air.
If anybody thought that Arsenal’s brilliance from set pieces was over, they have been proven wrong.
Arsenal’s first goal of the campaign came from a corner kick, with William Saliba disrupting Altay Bayindir to great effect.
Riccardo Calafiori was on hand to score, and Jover may well have used pre-season to bring in some new set-piece routines to worry Premier League defences again this season.
Winner: Riccardo Calafiori
Arsenal snapped up Riccardo Calafiori last summer, bringing the defender over from Bologna after impressing at Euro 2024.
Last season was a stop-start one for Calafiori, as he suffered niggling injury problems to halt his progress.
Myles Lewis-Skelly emerged as Arsenal’s top left-back in Calafiori’s absence, but Mikel Arteta went with Calafiori on Sunday – and it worked.
Calafiori scored the winner and defended well, with Lewis-Skelly having some shaky moments after replacing the Italian.
The left-back spot appears to be Calafiori’s to lose at the moment, and he will hope to stay fit throughout his second season at the Emirates Stadium.