**Arsenal**are off the mark with their second 1-0 triumph in their last three trips to Old Trafford. But a buoyant Manchester United, with £200 million in attackers to see on the pitch, presented many more problems than the Gunners might have expected, leaving them with plenty of food for thought.
Here are four things we learned from the first fixture of the campaign for the North London club.
Defensive discipline is the bedrock of success
**Arsenal**are traditionally a team full of flair and creativity. That is exactly what this team lacks, but they have turned into a top team with traits that eluded them for most of the Emirates Stadium era.
**Mikel Arteta**has learned from David Moyes and drilled his team into a stubborn unit when they are in a deep block. Without being brilliant on the ball, they have earned two victories at this ground in the last 15 months with a willingness to be compact, fight together, and throw their bodies on the line.
Jakub Kiwior covered next to William Saliba at the end of last season, but Gabriel Magalhaes made his way back into the lineup. The big Brazilian was a welcome presence to hold onto the lead.
One would expect nothing less from the team with the best defensive record in the last two years.
David Raya remains between the sticks, having received the Golden Glove two years on the bounce.
His compatriot asks him to build from the back and play with the ball at his feet. That has produced several cases of self-inflicted damage, and there might have been one more to add to the list in the 23rd minute when the goalkeeper gave Matheus Cunha the chance to close him down tightly.
However, when it mattered the most, he would pull off a fantastic save. Cunha ducked down the left channel of the box, and a surefire equaliser called the shot stopper into action with a dive to his left.
Arsenal’s attackers need to trust their intuition
If the Gunners are going to excel again, then they have to hold onto the strength of their stability.
Yet, over the last two campaigns, particularly, that emphasis has not been enough to bring about silverware. Supporters saw depth in numbers and star quality in the final third, as well as a little loosening of the reins from the manager, as the two keys to take the team over the line this time.
This was only the first matchday, but the task of reenergising the attack should still be a priority.
Viktor Gyökeres and **Noni Madueke**are still trying to get to grips with the demands of the manager. Time will tell what impact they can have, but there was a malaise that hung over the whole offence.
Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli were the most mentioned culprits, but too many times, the Gunners got into promising situations on the breakaway and made careless decisions with their final actions.
**Martin Zubimendi**split the central defenders without ever being able to grab control of the tempo, and **Arsenal**made their lives much harder than they needed to be. The Gunners are used to phases of dominant but stale ball control, and need to remember what it feels like to play football off the hook.
Are Arsenal still in preseason mode?
It is easy to forget that there are peaks and troughs through a season, so it is not necessarily a bad thing that **Arsenal**were not at their best. But the performance was much more sloppy than hoped for.
The first away day of the Premier League schedule last year saw Morgan Rogers run a freight train through the midfield, powering past Declan Rice and Thomas Partey as if they were not there. One could forgive fans for having the same thoughts flashing through their minds when watching Cunha.
In August 2024, after that trip to Villa Park, Arteta admitted that the midfield unit was "physically still not at our peak." He did not utter the same words in his post-match press conference yesterday, but it would not have been a surprise if some similar words were lurking at the back of his mind.
Bukayo Saka is another player who so often sets the standard for the Gunners with his ball retention, movement, and decision-making in all phases of the game. He is looking for his best physical and footballing form after his hamstring tear last December, but it was not present at Old Trafford.
Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, and Newcastle United are all on the fixture list before October starts. The Gunners got away with many errors: next time, they might not be so lucky.
Viktor Gyökeres is a work in progress
A key question ahead of kickoff was whether the £64 million man from **Sporting**would have the fitness to start on opening day. Many supporters got their wish with the green light for Gyökeres.
The eyes of many observers would have been on what the Swedish striker did in possession, but there were also words of worry from the manager that related to the work of the attackers without the ball.
Arteta asks his central forward to be a workhorse with Martin Odegaard and lead the press. There was a visible difference when **Kai Havertz**came on, shuffling across the frontline with more agility than his new teammate. Indeed, the boss believed that his side gave the hosts "too much time" to play.
The marquee man was missing rhythm in the final third. He struggled to get much service, but his war with Matthijs de Ligt often left him on the floor. When the chance to counter down his favoured left channel arrived, he stumbled on top of the ball, and blew the opportunity to open his account.
He came off for Havertz after an hour with no shots and a debut display that was far from ideal.
One thing is for sure: there are many more big, burly defenders where de Ligt came from. Physical scraps and aerial battles are meat and drink for central defenders in the English top tier, and Gyökeres must get up to speed as soon as possible to make sure that he fulfils his role as the main marksman.