'We weren't boring' - Amorim proud of performance but defensive frailties remain
NEW season - same old Manchester United.
Well, not quite. Defeat paid its latest unwanted visit to Old Trafford but there appears to be room for cautious optimism despite failings of old returning to undermine the start of their brave new dawn.
An unfamiliar scorer sealed a familiar outcome for Arsenal. The Gunners' last four victories here spanning 24 visits have all been by a single-goal margin and they had to once again call upon the resilience of their back four, in addition to the brilliance of their goalkeeper to kick-off the campaign with a win which was just about deserved.
United have splashed out in excess of £200m largely on new attacking talent in a bid to reinvigorate their quest to reinvent themselves under Ruben Amorim.
There were flashes of inspiration from the likes of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in addition to a cameo from Benjamin Sesko to suggest that money has been invested wisely, despite drawing a blank for the 16th time in the last 39 league games.
It was at the opposite end, with the unwanted return of the defensive frailties of last season, that proved to be the hosts' undoing to give Arsenal the early advantage they doggedly defended for the rest of the afternoon.
"It's a massive win," Mikel Arteta insisted. The Arsenal head coach added: "To come here in the first fixture with the momentum they're building, we weren't at our best but we showed character and spirit. It's a result that says a lot about us.
"Games are won in both boxes and that's what we did today with a goal from a corner. We know that we can be better in many respects but it's a great way to start the season."
Amorim spoke enthusiastically about his side's performance, rightly asserting it 'wasn't boring'. However the outcome prevented an overly-positive analysis and the Portuguese said: "I'm proud of the guys, they were really brave in everything they did so it's congratulations for the performance if not the result.
"We deserved a different outcome. We were more aggressive than last year, we showed quality on the ball and we gave it away less than last season. We weren't boring. You always felt we could create something but the bottom line is that we need to win the game."
It took less than 13 minutes to burst United's bubble as they shipped a comical opener from Arsenal's first corner of a contest which maintained a pleasing flow throughout.
With five towering team-mates initially stationed on the edge of the area belatedly moving with menace into the six-yard box, there was nothing more complicated from Declan Rice than delivering the set-piece under crossbar.
It should have been a regulation catch for Altay Bayindir, who was deputising for the injured Andre Onana. The Turk, as Roy Keane likes to say, needed to come with violence. Instead he came bearing gifts and was easily impeded by William Saliba as the goalkeeper's ineffectual parry directed the ball to Riccardo Calafiori to head home from all of a foot out, the full-back's first in the Premier League for seven months.
Amorim initially sought to defend his keeper, before seeming to back-track. He added: "When you're touching the keeper in that way I think it's hard. It's hard to be strong when you have to push to get the ball but yes, we need to be stronger in that situation."
As poor as they remain in defence, United were fluid in possession and carried a discernible threat going forward in search of an equaliser. Patrick Dorgu, released down the left by Bruno Fernandes, sent an angled drive beyond David Raya which struck the foot of the keeper's right-hand post.
Matheus Cunha grew into the contest, initially shooting tamely at Raya from 18 yards after a barnstorming foray from his own half saw the bustling Brazilian literally run through three Arsenal defenders before failing to make the most of the presentable chance he had worked so hard to fashion.
Raya, joint winner of the Golden Glove last season, underlined his value to the visitors by applying the faintest of touches to keep out a sharp near post effort on the turn from the increasingly influential Cunha which would otherwise have found its way in at the far post.
In contrast, Arsenal debutant Viktor Gyokeres, who had scored on his four previous opening day appearances for Coventry and Sporting Lisbon, had an afternoon to forget. The Sweden forward was hauled off after an anonymous hour running around to minimal effect in the Manchester sun.
The hosts dominated possession without carving out a whole host of chances and Raya remained the busier of the keepers after the break, getting down well to his left to beat out Mbeumo's powerful header from an inviting Dorgu cross.
United continued to press, but Arsenal are old hands at seeing out narrow victories like this. They coped comfortably enough with what the hosts could throw at them.
They were, at least, applauded from the field by their supporters, who if nothing else could see the early shoots of revival. How long that takes is anyone's guess. "We did a lot of good things but it wasn't enough," Fernandes, the skipper, reflected.
: Bayindir 4; Yoro 6, De Ligt 6, Shaw 7 (Maguire 80, 6); Dalot 5 (Amad 55, 7), Casemiro 6 (Ugarte 65, 6), Fernandes 6, Dorgu 7; Mbeumo 7, Cunha 7, Mount 6 (Sesko 65, 7).
: Dorgu
: Raya 8; White 7 (Timber 72, 7), Saliba 7, Gabriel 7, Calafiori 8 (Lewis-Skelly 72, 7); Odegaard 7, Zubimendi 5, Rice 6 (Merino 83, 6); Saka 6, Gyokeres 3 (Havertz 60, 5), Martinelli 5 (Madueke 60, 6).
: Calafiori, Raya.
Simon Hooper
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