After watching so many inept Manchester United displays last season, it was frustrating to see the club put in a good performance and come up short.
Manchester United’s opener against Arsenal was ruined by two things, a weak goal conceded from a set piece, and a failure to score from 22 shots at goal.
But amid that disappointment, there was genuine reason for Manchester United to be positive, and one of our winners from the game was centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
De Ligt made 10 defensive contributions and was everywhere across the backline, proactively shutting Arsenal down every time they ventured towards the penalty box from open play.
Matthijs de Ligt playing for Manchester United
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Matthijs de Ligt praised
Manchester United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is winning rave reviews for his performance, where he locked down Arsenal new boy Viktor Gyokeres.
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle claimed it was the best game he had ever seen De Ligt play, and there is enthusiasm in his homeland too.
Voetbal International pundit Suleyman Ozturk commented: “I thought he played perfectly, to be honest.”
“Against Gyokeres, who was completely eliminated in the duels. That’s Matthijs de Ligt’s greatest strength: eliminating a striker, especially one of those types. I also thought he was strong in his organization and communication.”
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He added: “I thought Matthijs de Ligt looked fit and sharp. He won all his duels. It’s a good sign for me that he’s at least the number one in central defence.”
Asked to rate De Ligt’s display, he commented: “I’d give him a nine based on this performance.”
Matthijs de Ligt’s new start
Matthijs de Ligt left Bayern Munich for Manchester United in 2024, and went straight into the Red Devils’ defence.
A chaotic start at United under Erik ten Hag saw De Ligt struggle at international level for the Netherlands, where he received heavy criticism and fell down the pecking order.
2025 is another fresh start for De Ligt, who has had his first Manchester United pre-season, and is playing a key role as the central man in Ruben Amorim’s three-man defence.
Ozturk added: “It’s nice for him that he seems to be climbing the ladder in a World Cup year.”
Bayern Munich fans launched a petition to keep De Ligt in summer 2024, and on the basis of his performance to kick off the 2025/26 campaign, it’s now easy to see why.