Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori headed house an early nook, aided by a weak problem from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, to earn a 1-0 victory at Manchester United within the Premier League on Sunday, spoiling the hosts’ season opener.
Regardless of a forged of latest faces, Mikel Arteta’s guests proved they’re nonetheless deadly from set items with Calafiori netting within the thirteenth minute. Arsenal’s William Saliba backed into Turkish keeper Bayindir, who feebly batted the ball with one hand into the trail of Italian Calafiori for a straightforward close-range header.
United have been in any other case the higher group, with close-season signings Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo lacking good possibilities, together with Patrick Dorgu. The house aspect had Arsenal pinned again for many of the second interval and saved keeper David Raya busy, forcing him right into a diving save to cease Mbeumo’s highly effective header.
Set-piece specialists Arsenal have scored 31 league targets from corners for the reason that begin of the 2023-24 season, not less than 11 greater than every other group, and three of their final 4 league targets towards United have been from nook kicks.
“Like all the time we have been working quite a bit on set-pieces and that’s what we confirmed immediately,” defender Calafiori mentioned.
It was a irritating evening for United, with a number of gamers dropping to their knees after the ultimate whistle, whereas the away followers sang their conventional “One-nil to the Arsenal” music.
United had 22 pictures to Arsenal’s 9, together with seven on track, and 62% of possession towards a visiting aspect who seemed nothing like a group that have been runners-up the final two seasons.
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Cunha and Mbeumo, a part of United’s makeover after a woeful Fifteenth-place end final time period, shortly made themselves crowd favourites and gave supervisor Ruben Amorim motive for optimism.
Cunha had three pictures on track, together with a rocket from a tricky angle that Raya dived to push away, whereas Dorgu rang a shot from simply exterior the 18-yard field off the submit.
“They created quite a bit, they have been in the precise positions,” United captain Bruno Fernandes mentioned of Mbeumo and Cunha.
“We all know they’re harmful and they’re a risk. We’re very conscious of what they can provide to the group.
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“It was a great first impression for them however I’m fairly positive they are going to do a lot better.”
United screamed for a penalty late within the sport after William Saliba’s sort out on Cunha within the field however there was no VAR examine.
Arsenal’s fundamental close-season signing, Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, in the meantime, noticed little of the ball on his Premier League debut and was substituted early within the second half.