Arsenal started the 2025-2026 Premier League campaign with a decisive 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The only goal was scored in the 23rd minute, when Riccardo Calafiori headed the ball close to the goal from Declan Rice's corner kick, after goalkeeper Altay Bayindir failed to handle it decisively under pressure from William Saliba.
Man United entered the match full of excitement, controlling the ball up to 75% in the first 10 minutes and making Arsenal only make 9 passes. This is the Gunners' lowest tally in the opening Premier League game since September 2022, also against the Red Devils.
However, once again, the dead ball became Arsenal's harmful weapon. Since the start of last season, they have scored 31 goals from corners - at least 11 more than any other team. In contrast, Man United continued to show fragility, conceding 23 goals from corners in the same period.
After conceding the goal, the home team still created many opportunities. Patrick Dorgu shot against the post in the 30th minute, while Matheus Cunha broke through strongly but only had a weak shot at goalkeeper David Raya. Bryan Mbeumo also left his mark on the right wing with accelerations that kept Arsenal's defense agitated.
On the other hand, rookie Viktor Gyokeres did not make his debut as expected. The Swedish striker - the owner of 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting CP - did not have any shots, did not create any chances and only had 4 accurate passes before leaving the field in the 60th minute.
"Gyokeres has done very well in many tasks. However, Arsenal gave Gyokeres too much time even though the team played high-level pressing, especially in the first half.
That is something we need to improve. Then, when it comes to finishing, Gyokeres doesn't have many chances to finish. Because, as I said, in the previous situation, before we created the final shot, Arsenal had to overcome the defense from 40m away" - Mikel Arteta said.
Despite the great pressure, Arsenal still stood firm and left Old Trafford with 3 full points, creating favorable momentum for the ambition to compete for the throne in the new season.
Mbeumo's performance was even more impressive, as he continuously made Arsenal's defense shaky. The Newspaper from Man United almost equalized in the 73rd minute with a powerful close-range header, but Raya rushed out in time to save the "Gunners".
In his first official debut, Mbeumo had five shots - his most in a Premier League game since October 2023 (six against Burnley). At the same time, this is also his most shots that he has failed to score since April 2022 (5 shots against Tottenham).
Despite creating an encroachment in the second half, Man United still could not find an equalizer. The match ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of Arsenal.
"The most important thing is that we are not bored. I am really proud of the guys. They were really brave in everything they did throughout the match. We clearly deserve another result and we need to look forward to the next match.
Man United played more aggressively attacking last year. We accelerated more, we were more brave, we played one fight all the way through the game and we pressed high up the pitch," Amorim said after the match.
This is the sixth time Arsenal have beaten Man United at Old Trafford in the Premier League. And the special thing is that all 6 victories are in the same scenario of 1-0.
This achievement helped The Gunners set a record as the team that won the most away matches against an opponent, with 100% of them ending with a minimal victory.
Few Arsenal fans can deny that their team was at a disadvantage for much of the game, as Man United showed more determination and dominance. However, Mikel Arteta's team still left Old Trafford with all 3 points in hand.
Such a scenic victory further strengthens Arsenal's image as a strong candidate for the Premier League title this season.
