Arsenal kicked off their PL campaign with a win over Manchester United.
Calafiori wins it for Arsenal against Man United
The visitors struck first in a big clash at Old Trafford. Declan Rice’s corner in the 13th minute left United keeper Altay Bayindir scrambling. In the very moment, it allowed Riccardo Calafiori to head home from close range.
That early blow set the tone for an end-to-end contest. Although, the Red Devils showed plenty of fight. Bryan Mbeumo, making his competitive debut, had the game’s first real chance but fired straight at David Raya. Moments later, Patrick Dorgu rattled the post after being slipped through by Bruno Fernandes. Meanwhile, Matheus Cunha forced Raya into sharp stops as the Spanish keeper stood firm under pressure.
Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel looked poor at times. But, Raya kept the Gunners in control at the break.
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Red Devils push hard but Gunners hold on
The second half saw United pile on the pressure in search of an equaliser. Fernandes tested Raya with a curling free-kick. Cunha spun away from Ben White to carve out another chance that was cleared out by Arsenal’s defenders.
Mbeumo came closest with a powerful header that Raya somehow pushed away. The keeper showcased exactly why he is Arteta’s trusted number one. The Gunners did not offer a great deal going forward. But, they almost doubled their lead when Bukayo Saka had a shot blocked by Matthijs de Ligt.
United showed intent on winning the game and threw on Benjamin Sesko for the last 10 minutes. Although, they could not find a way past the quick thinking Raya and solid Arsenal defence.
As for Arsenal, they were satisfied with their performance and weren’t at their best. But, they were delighted to be taking three points back to London in their race for the title. United will take away the positives from a strong performance. They will look to bounce back against Fulham when the Cottagers make the visit to Old Trafford.
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