Arsenal kicked off their Premier League season with an important win, edging Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half header, Softfootball reports.
It’s the Gunners’ fourth straight opening-day victory and only their third league triumph at the Theatre of Dreams in nearly 20 years. The sun was shining and the Stretford End was in full voice as United looked to wipe away memories of last season’s struggles.
According to the club’s official website, the win extends the Gunners’ unbeaten away run in the league to 15 matches, the kind of resilience Arteta will need if his side are to go the distance again this season.
Ruben Amorim’s side started brightly, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha buzzing around the Arsenal defence, but they couldn’t land the first blow. Instead, it was Mikel Arteta’s men who struck.
Declan Rice whipped in a teasing corner that stand-in keeper Altay Bayındır misjudged completely, leaving Calafiori free at the back post to nod home his first Arsenal goal.
The away end erupted. The goal gave Arsenal the confidence to settle, but United weren’t without their chances. Patrick Dorgu smacked the post with a rasping drive, while Cunha twice stung the palms of David Raya before the break.
The Red Devils pushed, the crowd roared, but Arsenal held firm. The second half was more of the same: United piling forward, Arsenal digging deep. Cunha drove through midfield to set up Mbeumo for an audacious bicycle kick that drifted wide, then the Cameroonian forward was denied by a flying Raya save after a bullet header.
Each miss drew groans from the home crowd. As time ticked away, Arsenal showed their maturity. They slowed the game down and frustrated United, and when the final whistle blew, it was their fans singing loudest in Manchester.
For United, there were flashes of promise, especially with the new summer signings Sesko, Mbuemo and Cunha, but the familiar issue of turning pressure into goals proved costly. Four blanks in five home league games tell their own story.
