Ruben Amorim’s first Premier League opener as Manchester United boss ended in frustration as a single mistake handed Arsenal victory at Old Trafford.
United’s £200m summer rebuild did not stretch to a new goalkeeper and with Andre Onana sidelined by a hamstring injury, Amorim took a chance on Altay Bayindir over veteran Tom Heaton. It was a call that backfired.
With just 13 minutes gone, Declan Rice curled in a wicked corner that dropped right under the bar. Bayindir stayed rooted to his line and only managed to flap weakly at the ball, pushing it straight on to Riccardo Calafiori, who nodded home from point blank range. It proved the decisive moment.
From then on, United were the better side. Amorim’s team dominated possession, created more chances and forced David Raya into several excellent saves. New signing Matheus Cunha saw three efforts turned away by the Arsenal keeper, while Bryan Mbeumo was denied by a sharp low stop after the break.
United registered 20 shots in a league game against Arsenal for the first time since that famous 8–2 win back in 2011. This time there was no reward. Even when Casemiro pulled the strings in midfield, Patrick Dorgu impressed down the left and Matthijs de Ligt marshalled the defence, the crucial breakthrough never came.
Raya’s resilience kept Arsenal ahead and Rice almost doubled their lead late on with a free kick that flew just wide. When six minutes of added time ran out, Old Trafford rose to applaud a much improved performance, even if the scoreline told a different story.
For Amorim, though, the harsh reality is impossible to ignore. He has now lost 15 of his 28 league games in charge of United, a grim record that makes him the fastest to reach that mark since Paul Hart at Portsmouth back in 2009.
Bayindir’s mistake will dominate the headlines but Amorim knows that in the brutal world of elite football, results are all that matter. And for United, despite the progress on display, it was once again a case of so near yet so far.