MANCHESTER  -  Arsenal began their Premier League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday, capitalising on a costly goalkeeping error from Manchester United’s Altay Bayindir.

The decisive moment came in the 13th minute when Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori headed home from close range. United’s keeper failed to deal with a corner, fumbling under pressure from William Saliba, leaving Calafiori with the simplest of finishes to mark his first league goal in English football.

Despite falling behind early, Ruben Amorim’s revamped United side dominated large spells of the match. New signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo provided plenty of attacking spark but failed to convert a series of promising opportunities. Patrick Dorgu also came close, rattling the post with a fierce drive from the edge of the box.

Arsenal’s keeper David Raya proved crucial, producing several sharp saves — most notably diving full stretch to deny Mbeumo’s powerful header in the second half. “I’m really proud of the guys,” said United manager Amorim after the game. “They were brave, they created chances, and we deserved a different result. This was completely different from last season.”

Statistically, United were the superior side, registering 22 shots to Arsenal’s nine, enjoying 62% possession, and forcing Raya into action on seven occasions. However, Arsenal’s trademark set-piece efficiency once again proved decisive. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, the Gunners have scored 31 goals from corners, at least 11 more than any other Premier League club.

Manager Mikel Arteta admitted his side had to dig deep. “Massive result — to come here with their atmosphere and their new signings. We have to be humble about the way we scored, but football is won in both boxes, and today we did that,” he said.

For Arsenal, debutant Viktor Gyökeres endured a quiet afternoon, seeing little of the ball before being substituted early in the second half. United, meanwhile, felt aggrieved late on when Cunha went down under Saliba’s challenge, though VAR did not intervene. As the final whistle blew, United’s frustration was clear, while travelling Arsenal fans celebrated with chants of “One-nil to the Arsenal”, a familiar refrain echoing through Old Trafford.