Manchester United lost their season open to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday; an Altay Bayindir error from a corner allowing Riccardo Califiori to head in at the back post.
But the scoreline didn’t tell the story of the day.
United looked much-improved and dominated Arsenal throughout; the stats for chances created, shots, shots on target, possession, total passes, final third passes and XG all heavily in United’s favour.
Put simply – this was a very good opening day performance, and United were desperately unlucky to come away empty-handed.
The Failed Goalie Gamble
Apparently Andre Onana was fit for this match, but Ruben Amorim elected to start second-choice Altay Bayindir between the sticks, as the Cameroonian has missed pre-season due to injury.
Bayindir hadn’t impressed in pre-season, and his flap at a Declan Rice corner on 13 minutes presented Italian defender Riccardo Califiori with a header from inches out. The goal eventually proved to be the decisive moment in the game as Arsenal miraculously clung on for a victory they didn’t deserve.
There have been calls for United to sign a goalkeeper before the transfer window closes. Those calls will grow louder after Sunday’s defeat.
New boys steal the show
A huge positive for United was the performances of new attackers Cunha and Mbeumo.
Mattheus Cunha showed real quality time after time, one particular turn and run in the second half teeing up a big chance for Bryan Mbeumo, who couldnt convert.
He also forced David Raya into two excellent saves, including a fingertip stop at full stretch that looked destined for the far corner, and on another day he would have won a penalty from a Saliba foul.
Beyond the chances, Cunha’s constant movement dragged Arsenal’s centre-backs around and opened lanes for runners from deep. It already looks like United finally have a forward who can both link and threaten in behind.
Mbeumo, meanwhile, was relentless: direct, powerful and happy to take on his man early. Twice he looked certain to score only for Raya to produce outstanding stops, and another break saw him square for a teammate when a shot might have been on. Even without the goal, his intensity and physicality gave United a cutting edge they’ve lacked.
Benjamin Šeško entered from the bench for his debut but struggled to make an impression, glancing one header wide and otherwise feeding off scraps. His time will come.
Defensive positives
For all the focus on the goalkeeping error, the rest of the defensive unit did itself proud. Matthijs de Ligt was authoritative, winning his duels with the ineffective Gyökeres and staying switched on to second balls. Leny Yoro read danger well and rarely looked flustered.
Shaw, tucked in on the left side of a back three, limited Saka’s threat for long spells and covered the channel smartly. Ahead of them, Casemiro screened effectively and picked the moments to step in, while Bruno dropped a little deeper than usual to help progress the ball.
Dorgu’s energy down the flank was a real outlet; he even crashed a low drive off the post. Structurally, United restricted Arsenal to very little in open play – which only makes the set-piece concession more annoying.
Player ratings & MOTM
Bayindir – 3: Poor error cost United the game and kicking looked suspect
Yoro – 7: Authoritative at the back and played the ball forward positively most times
De Ligt – 8 & MOTM: A monstrous defensive performance reminiscent of the likes of Nemanja Vidic. Hardly put a foot wrong
Shaw – 7: Looked assured at the back and dangerous when linking up down the left flank. The best weve seen of him in a while.
Dalot – 5.5: Decent at the back but didn’t offer much going forward. Amad looked to be an upgrade
Casemiro – 6: Pretty solid and had his moments going forward, but not as impactful as a younger, more athletic new signing might be
Bruno – 6: A mixed bag – some incisive passing but often found himself deep where he wasn’t as effective
Dorgu – 6.5: Really strong attacking performance and grazed the post with a great effort. Decision-making can still improve
Mount – 6.5: Worked hard in a position that probably doesn’t come naturally to him. Did a decent job pressing and had some dangerous attacking moments
Mbeumo – 7.5: Looked really sharp and offered a constant threat when cutting inside. Almost combined with Cunha for what would have been a brilliant equaliser
Cunha – 7.5: Also looked sharp as well as diligent when defending. Unlucky not to have an assist, goal or both.
Subs:
Amad – 6.5: Added creative spark down the right
Ugarte – 4: Poor, doesn’t look comfortable on the ball and a bad error led to Harry Maguire having to give away a dangerous free kick and yellow card.
Sesko – 5. Didn’t get to see much of the big Slovenian. Watch this space
Maguire – 6.5: Solid as ever
Looking Forward
United travel to Craven Cottage for our second league game against Fulham next Sunday.
It’s vital that we take the many positives from this defeat, maintain the level of performance and get points on the board. There are difficult games ahead against City and Chelsea – lets hope we can build on a good opening day performance and get new number 9 Sesko properly integrated by then.