Altay Bayindir was at fault for Arsenal's winning goal against Manchester United on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, with Ruben Amorim defending him after the game
20:50, 17 Aug 2025
Ruben Amorim
(Image: Getty)
Ruben Amorim has backed Altay Bayindir after the goalkeeper's blunder handed Arsenal a crucial goal at Old Trafford during the season opener.
The Turkish shot-stopper's howler allowed Riccardo Calafiori to pounce and fire home what proved to be the decisive strike in the clash. Following Declan Rice's inswinging corner, Bayindir came under intense pressure from William Saliba as he attempted to clear the danger with his fists.
But the French defender's presence caused him to make a hash of the delivery. The loose ball subsequently fell kindly for Calafiori at the far post, who made no mistake from point-blank range.
When quizzed by Sky Sports about the goal, Amorim suggested his team were unlucky not to see the strike ruled out for a foul on Bayindir by Saliba, reports the Express.
He said: "It's more or less the same as what sometimes happened last year.
Altay Bayindir
Altay Bayindir will be disappointed with his error(Image: Getty)
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"For me, it's not playing the ball. It's protecting the guys that are attacking. I understand that we want goals, but when you're touching the goalkeeper in that way, I think it's hard. And especially to lose with a goal like this, I think it's hard."
When pressed on whether Bayindir should have shown more strength to deal with the challenge and clear the ball, Amorim stood by his keeper.
"It's hard to be strong when you have to push and you have to go for the ball," he insisted. "Sometimes you are pushing and then you don't have more hands to go for the ball.
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"We need to be stronger in that moment, but especially, we need to do the same thing (be physical) in the opposite side (of the pitch). We are not changing the rules, we have to adapt to the rules and today it's hard to accept because I think we were the better team."
Amorim continued to lavish praise on his team for their display, despite beginning the season with a loss. United controlled the action at Old Trafford and restricted Arsenal to precious few opportunities.
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While spurning their own scoring chances - with David Raya being called into action multiple times to thwart United summer acquisitions Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.