On a day when fluency was scarce, Arsenal banked the one commodity that matters: three points away to a resurgent Manchester United. Riccardo Calafiori marked his league debut with a decisive header after Altay Bayındır spilled Declan Rice’s inswinging corner, and David Raya’s calm authority underpinned a clean sheet built on resistance rather than rhythm.

Mikel Arteta’s side never found their usual passing cadence and created little after the opener, but they defended the box with increasing conviction. When the game became a test of duels, distances and decision-making, Arsenal passed it, led by a goalkeeper in command and centre-backs who grew stronger as the clock ticked down.

Set-piece sharpness and a left-back’s dream debut goal

The breakthrough came from the rehearsal room. Rice’s delivery had pace and dip, Bayındır’s touch turned danger into disaster, and Calafiori, alive to the second phase, headed in from close range. It was a reward for proactive positioning more than attacking invention.

Beyond the finish, Calafiori’s afternoon was defined by concentration. He picked his moments to advance, but above all he defended his channel, tucked in to protect the six-yard box, and embodied the pragmatism required to win away when the patterns are not clean.

When the football stuttered, the defence did not

Arsenal’s possession never quite clicked. Viktor Gyökeres was isolated and asked to fight for scraps, and the midfield duo of Rice and Martín Zubimendi had to prioritise traffic control over territory. But the back line absorbed pressure with minimal panic.

William Saliba and Gabriel contested everything in the air, the full-backs narrowed the gaps between bodies, and second balls were contested with a streetwise edge. When crosses arrived, clearances went to zones rather than back into congestion. It was not pretty, but it was the right kind of ugly.

Raya’s calm amid chaos

United’s best moments demanded a goalkeeper who read pictures early, and Raya did. He handled Cunha’s low drives cleanly, claimed when claiming was the safest option, and punched authoritatively when traffic mounted at set-pieces.

The signature intervention came late: a spring to his right to push away Mbeumo’s guided header after a deflection changed the cross’s flight. The difference between one point and three was a gloved hand and immaculate feet throughout.

Midfield balance and attack still to click

Arteta would have wanted more control through the middle. Rice and Zubimendi were often forced to guard space rather than set the tempo, and Ødegaard’s influence was limited to flashes. Gyökeres’ hour was a hard shift without reward before Kai Havertz arrived to help Arsenal hold the ball higher.

The attacking metrics will not flatter Arsenal, but that is the point: they found a way without them. Early-season cohesion can lag; the platform of a clean sheet at Old Trafford is a valuable scaffold while combinations bed in.

Game management, benchmarks, and the road ahead

Once ahead, Arsenal tilted the game into their strengths. Substitutions refreshed the first line of pressure, the back four compressed the box, and the team walked the fine line between assertive and cynical without overstepping it. The ability to survive a hostile spell and keep decisions tidy is a hallmark of mature sides.

There is work to do in possession and in connecting midfield to the nine, but the message on day one is clear. Arsenal can win when it is messy. Calafiori’s alertness and Raya’s authority set the tone; the points set the pace.