London, Aug 17: Arsenal began their Premier League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, courtesy of Riccardo Calafiori’s early header.
The decisive moment arrived in the 13th minute when United’s stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayindir misjudged a Declan Rice corner, allowing Calafiori to nod the visitors in front.
First-choice keeper Andre Onana was unavailable, leaving Bayindir exposed on his league debut.
Despite the setback, United showed attacking intent under new manager Ruben Amorim, who handed debuts to summer signings Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.
Cunha and Mbeumo, in particular, tested Arsenal shot-stopper David Raya, who produced a string of vital saves.
He denied Cunha on multiple occasions and made a stunning one-handed stop to keep out Mbeumo after the winger had already struck fear into the Gunners’ defence.
Earlier, Patrick Dorgu had rattled the post with a thunderous effort during a spell of sustained pressure.United continued to press after the interval, with Mbeumo again going close, but Raya remained resolute between the posts.
Arsenal, meanwhile, struggled to build on their early lead, failing to register a single shot on target in the second half.
Efforts from Martin Ødegaard and Rice in the opening period aside, Mikel Arteta’s side offered little going forward.However, the Gunners’ defensive discipline and experience proved decisive, allowing them to leave Manchester with three valuable points despite being second-best for large parts of the contest.
For United, the result was disappointing, but Amorim’s men showed promise in attack, offering optimism that the new-look side could deliver a stronger campaign than last season. (Agencies)
