Manchester United ushered in a new era under Rúben Amorim with fresh faces and fresh hope, but an old failing decided the day. A 13th-minute set piece, flapped at by stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayındır, gifted Riccardo Calafiori a close-range header and proved enough for Arsenal to leave Old Trafford with a 1–0 win. The visitors were short of fluency and threat, yet their defensive resilience — and David Raya’s assurance — carried them over the line.

United, meanwhile, produced long stretches of front-foot football and more incision than for much of last season. Patrick Dorgu thumped a post, Matheus Cunha slalomed through traffic, and Bryan Mbeumo repeatedly stretched Arsenal’s back line. But without the finishing touch — and with the decisive mistake at the other end — an opening-day statement slipped from their grasp.

An early set piece, a costly spill, and a full-back’s dream start

The game’s key moment arrived before either side found rhythm. Declan Rice’s inswinging corner from the left drew Bayındır into traffic; the goalkeeper got hands to the delivery but merely helped it on. Calafiori, alert at the far post, nodded the ball over the line from inside the six-yard box — a defender’s simplest finish, born of United’s uncertainty under the high ball.

United protests that their keeper had been impeded went unanswered. Beyond the incident, the goal highlighted the uneasy backdrop to United’s No 1 situation: André Onana was omitted, Bayındır deputised, and the first serious test ended in calamity. For Arsenal, it was exactly the kind of away-day breakthrough Mikel Arteta’s side have learned to live off when their attacking play is not purring.

United’s new-look attack adds thrust but not the finish

For long spells either side of the interval, Amorim’s side looked the likelier scorers. Dorgu rattled the base of the post to spark United’s best passage, and Cunha — lively and elusive off the right and through the middle — twice forced smart handling from Raya, including a sharp low stop.

Mbeumo, constantly available down the right, drew another excellent fingertip save with a late close-range header. United’s set-pieces also carried menace. Bruno Fernandes’ deliveries asked questions and invited chaos, yet when the ball did break, Mason Mount — used nominally as a No 9 for an hour — could not provide a clinical edge.

Arsenal labour in possession but defend the box like veterans

Arsenal’s attacking platform rarely looked stable. Viktor Gyökeres worked tirelessly on his debut without service, and Martin Ødegaard’s best look was a speculative first-half effort from range. In midfield, Rice and Martín Zubimendi found it hard to impose their usual passing control against United’s intensity.

What they did offer was clarity without the ball. William Saliba and Gabriel grew in command as the game wore on, Calafiori balanced his defensive duties with the day’s decisive contribution, and the full-backs narrowed the box effectively. Behind them, Raya’s positioning and handling were immaculate, capped by that late reflex stop to preserve the points.

Selection calls, debuts and in-game tweaks under the microscope

Amorim’s team sheet carried intrigue. With Onana left out entirely, Bayındır’s opportunity began under scrutiny and ended under a harsher light. Casemiro started ahead of Manuel Ugarte in midfield to anchor United’s press-and-break plan, while Mount led the line before making way for Šeško with 25 minutes left; Amad replacing Diogo Dalot earlier added thrust on the right.

Arteta’s were the quieter calls but no less telling. Zubimendi debuted as a partner for Rice, hinting at a double-pivot when required. Gyökeres was withdrawn on the hour for Kai Havertz as Arsenal sought a platform to hold the ball higher, and further changes added legs to defend the area.

The key passages that tilted the contest

United’s most convincing spell straddled the late first half and early second, beginning with Dorgu’s woodwork-rattler and continuing through a flurry of Cunha and Mbeumo efforts. Arsenal, often pinned, survived on first contacts, second balls, and the goalkeeper’s interventions. The closing stages brought the game’s last dramatic scramble inside the Arsenal six-yard box, but when Mbeumo finally climbed for a guided header, Raya’s outstretched hand had the final say.

The verdict for both camps

For United, there is real encouragement in the verticality and aggression of their play. The new forwards gave Old Trafford something to cling to: pace, directness, and the feeling that chances will come. Yet the margins at this level are unforgiving. Solve the goalkeeper uncertainty and sharpen the finishing, and the performance level shown here will translate into points.

For Arsenal, this was the other side of a title-chasing mentality: winning away, under pressure, without rhythm. Calafiori’s moment of alertness and Raya’s calm excellence framed a display short on invention but full of resilience. If the midfield control and final-third cohesion lagged behind, the scoreboard did not. On opening day, that — and a clean sheet at Old Trafford — will do.