Key events
“Charles Antaki (4.21pm) didn’t get his wish for goals, plural,” says Kári Tulinius, “but I’m sure he doesn’t mind.”
Arsenal don’t win often at Old Trafford, but when they do it’s usually like this. Their last seven victories on this ground have been 1-0: 1985-86, 1990-91, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2006-07, 2023-24 and now 2025-26.
New signings or not, it was a victory for established strengths: set-pieces and the best defence in England. Man Utd were lively, especially Matheus Cunha, and deserved a draw on the balance of play, but Arsenal slowly drained the optimism out of them.
It was ultimately settled by a simple header from Riccardo Calafiori, who took advantage when Altay Bayindir made a mess of Declan Rice’s corner.
Full time: Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal
All over at Old Trafford.
90+6 min Saka’s superb cross looks set to give Madueke a tap-in, only for Bruno Fernandes to divert the ball with a crucial flying kick. It hits Madueke and bounces clear.
90+5 min Fernandes’s corner is headed up in the air by Saliba. De Ligt then heads it down into the crowd and Raya claims.
90+5 min One last corner for Man Utd. Peter Schmeichel is forward…
90+4 min Havertz draws a foul from Ugarte to eat up another 30 seconds. He’s been excellent since coming off the bench.
90+2 min Arsenal take the corner and go back to the halfway line. Lewis-Skelly lets the ball run under his foot and then fouls Mbeumo; he’s booked.
90+2 min: Chance for Saka Odegaard finds Saka with a cute short pass into the area. Saka watches the bounce and batters a shot that deflects behind off the lunging De Ligt.
90+1 min Timber is booked for timewasting.
90 min Six minutes of added time.
89 min Desperate defending from Arsenal. Saliba makes a vital challenge on Cunha on the six-yard line, then De Ligt – getting well forward as the right-sided centre-back – has a snapshot blocked.
Actually, having seen that again Saliba didn’t win the ball when he challenged Cunha. I’m not sure it was a foul, though, mainly because Cunha fell into Saliba rather than the other way round. I’d like to see it again though.
88 min Ugarte receives the ball 30 yards out with four or five men waiting for a pass. They can wait all they like, because Ugarte has decided he’s Arie Haan and that’s all there is to it.
Goalkick to Arsenal.
86 min Arsenal’s defence have managed the second half expertly, with United rarely threatening to get in behind as they did in the first half.
85 min Extended pressure from United, with the impressive Cunha involved in everything. He’s been the best of the debutants on either side I’d say.
Arsenal withstand the pressure until Timber is fouled by Dorgu. He’s booked, as is David Raya for taking his time over the resulting free-kick.
83 min: Arsenal substitution Mikel Merino replaces Declan Rice, who isn’t injured but looks pretty shattered.
82 min The resulting free-kick is 22 yards from goal to the right of centre. Rice’s kick deflects off Dorgu and into the side netting; Bayindir had it covered.
81 min A bad ball from Ugarte goes to Havertz, who is unapologetically taken out by Maguire. He’s very lucky to escape a yellow card for that.
80 min: Man Utd substitution Harry Maguire on, Luke Shaw off. Maguire and Sesko up front on the opening day, surely not. For now he’s in defence.
78 min Amad beats Madueke again, this time on the outside, and cuts the ball back. Zubimendi miskicks horribly but gets away with it. United come again through Shaw, whose cross is claimed by Raya. Amad went down under a challenge from Lewis-Skelly at the far post and enquired for a penalty. No dice.
77 min Amad beats Madueke through sleight of hip, cuts inside and shoots straight at Raya from 20 yards. The first part was good, the second not so much.
76 min Arsenal have lacked ruthlessness on the counter-attack in the second half. They’ve got between the lines a few times only to take the wrong option or play an imperfect pass.
Good save by Raya!
73 min Dorgu’s deflected cross loops towards Mbeumo, who hangs in the air and powers a downward header towards goal from 12 yards. It bounces up nicely for Raya, who throws himself to the left to push it away with both hands.
Moments later, Sesko heads a cross well wide. That was a very tough chance, Mbeumo’s a bit better though he had to generate all the pace on the header. He did that well but couldn’t guide it into the corner.
71 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Mikel Arteta is changing his full-backs: Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly replace Ben White and the goalscorer Riccardo Calafiori.
70 min Ben White is down and needs treatment. Well, he’s getting treatment: Cunha thinks he’s trying it on and is having words with Odegaard among others.
69 min Bayindir drills the ball into Cunha, who loses White with an outrageous volleyed backflick, runs 40 yards and slides the ball into Mbeumo in the area. He can’t get his shot away and eventually there’s a scramble involving Amad, Gabriel and Calafiori. Arsenal clear, the ball is swing back into the box and Mbeumo’s hopeful overhead kick flies wide.
68 min Cunha, on the left now, flicks a nice pass into Dorgu in the area. He has the ball for about 0.2 seconds before Saliba smoothly picks his pocket. He does that so well.
Sesko on for Man Utd debut
65 min: Double substitution for Man Utd Benjamin Sesko and Manuel Ugarte replace Mason Mount and Casemiro, who both had pretty good games. 7/10 maybe.
64 min Rice, teed up by Madueke, has a shot from the edge of the area that is kicked away by Yoro.
62 min Arsenal protect a lead better than any team in England, and United – despite some promising attacks and around 70 per cent possession – are yet to have a shot on target in the second half.
It looks like Ruben Amorim will attempt to change that by bringing on Big Ben.
