Mikel Arteta expressed immense relief and pride after Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford in their opening Premier League match of the 2025/26 season. The Gunners' boss described the win as "massive," acknowledging the challenging atmosphere and the momentum Manchester United were building with their new signings.
Arsenal's victory came courtesy of an early goal from Riccardo Calafiori, who headed in a corner in the 13th minute after a misjudgment by United's goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir. Despite the early lead, Arsenal had to withstand significant pressure from the home side, with David Raya, their goalkeeper, making crucial saves to deny United's debutants, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. William Saliba's late block on Cunha was also vital in securing the win.
Arteta admitted that his team's performance was not up to their usual standards and that there is much room for improvement. He pointed out that Arsenal gave the ball away too often in open spaces, preventing them from "killing" the game. He also noted that the team's passing accuracy of 75% was their lowest in a Premier League game since September of last year. Despite these shortcomings, Arteta praised his team's resilience and character in reacting to mistakes and finding a way to win. He highlighted the team's determination and defensive effort as "phenomenal".
Arsenal's continued proficiency from set-pieces was once again on display, with Calafiori's goal marking their 31st Premier League goal from a corner since the start of the 2023/24 season, at least 11 more than any other team. This is in stark contrast to Manchester United, who have conceded the most goals from corners in the same period, with 23.
The game also marked the debut of Arsenal's new signing, Viktor Gyokeres, who had a quiet game. Arteta defended the striker, stating that the "basketball game" nature of the match did not play to his strengths. He also mentioned that Gyokeres needs time to build chemistry with his new teammates and that the team needs to improve at delivering the ball to exploit his qualities.
Arteta also lauded Riccardo Calafiori's impact on the team, saying that he "has the capacity to change the energy" and possesses a special aura and unpredictable playing style.
Looking ahead, Arteta emphasized the need for Arsenal to improve their clinical edge and aim for second and third goals in games, rather than just holding onto a 1-0 lead. He acknowledged that while winning at Old Trafford is a significant achievement, the team is still "unsatisfied" and has much higher ambitions. This mentality, according to Arteta, is a positive sign for what they are trying to build at the club.
The victory at Old Trafford marks Arsenal's sixth consecutive win against Manchester United. It also continues a trend of Arsenal improving their record at the ground, having previously struggled to win there for many years. This win provides a positive start to Arsenal's campaign as they aim to compete for their first league title since 2003-04.
