Manchester United vs Arsenal 0-1 - Nothing new at Old Trafford

Premier League Football Trips 2025/26 have been in high demand again since August 15 – Champions FC Liverpool kicked off with a 4:2 win over AFC Bournemouth, runners-up FC Arsenal followed suit on August 17 – 1:0 (1:0) in the classic at Manchester United.

At FC Arsenal – and you could feel it in the opening phase of the match at Old Trafford – there is a lot of determination after finishing second three years in a row.
Arsenal’s American owners invested 230 million euros in new stars before the season started, including the signing of Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting Lisbon for the striker position, who was once promoted by Amorim at the Portuguese capital club. The transfer fee was 65.8 million euros. They also brought in right winger Noni Madueke from city rivals FC Chelsea and centre-back Christian Nörgaard from FC Brentford.

But at FC Arsenal, there's always a sense of London caution before each season. “Don’t worry if Gyökeres doesn’t score in the first few games,” said Arsenal legend Ian Wright, urging patience with the Swede, “the goals will come!”

And they did. 

The new season was only 13 minutes old for FC Arsenal when Riccardo Calafiori pushed the ball into the net to make it 1:0 for “The Gunners.” 

Manchester United – FC Arsenal: How was Gyökeres' debut?

Manchester United pushed the former perennial title rival into defence with 61 percent possession and 22 shots on goal.

You could see the pressure of high expectations on Gyökeres during his Premier League debut. For the first time since April 2023, when he was still playing for Coventry City against Blackburn Rovers in the English second division (Championship), he went without a single shot on goal in 69 consecutive games.

“He did a lot of things well,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta in his defence. 

Ex-Premier League pro Danny Murphy (Liverpool, Tottenham): “I kind of felt for him because his stats weren’t good and he had to rely too much on his teammates.”

Triumphant start at Manchester United: Arsenal and Riccardo Calafiori (left) celebrate the 1:0 at Old Trafford. Photo: Imago Images / Every Second Media

“This is big” – But can Arsenal finally win the title?

No news from Old Trafford – once again, Arsenal showed their strength on set pieces. Calafiori’s goal was the 31st scored from a corner since the 2023/2024 season. 

Arsenal played at the “Theatre of Dreams” like a title contender. “They didn’t play their best game, but coming to Old Trafford and taking three points is big,” said United legend Gary Neville on Sky Sports UK.

Before the match in Manchester, Arteta had already pointed to the high quality of his new signings: “They bring depth to the squad, and we need that for this tough season. We were very, very close in recent seasons and there’s strong belief in what we can achieve.”

Jamie Redknapp is expecting an exciting Premier League season: “It’s going to be a titanic title battle between Arsenal and Liverpool.”

Exactly. That’s what makes Premier League football trips and coverage of this league so captivating.

15 Defeats 

For Manchester United, it was the third home game in a row against the Londoners without a win.

The record of the English joint-most-title-holders under Amorim, who probably won’t remember the Gyökeres reunion fondly, is disastrous.

With the Portuguese coach on the sidelines, United lost their 15th Premier League match – considering the total number of PL games played (28), that’s a negative record for a coach who didn’t come from a promoted club.