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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal (left) celebrates scoring with Declan Rice.Alamy Stock Photo challengers Arsenal capitalise on goalkeeping error to beat Man United It was a day to forget for Altay Bayindir. 6.24pm, 17 Aug 2025 Share options MANCHESTER UNITED’S expensively assembled new forward line drew a blank as Arsenal began their quest for the Premier League title by grinding out a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday. Riccardo Calafiori scored the only goal after the Italian defender pounced on a huge mistake by United’s stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayindir. United have splashed out £200 million (€232 million) on new forwards to remedy a lack of punch in the final third. Despite promising debuts, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo failed to find the net, while substitute Benjamin Sesko could not make Arsenal pay for opting against pursuing their interest in the Slovenian. After finishing second for the past three seasons, the pressure is on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to deliver the club’s first league title in 2003/04. The Spaniard was left to depend on his reliable defence and goalkeeper David Raya to secure a huge three points, as the visitors never got going as an attacking force. Only four other teams scored fewer than United’s 44 goals in 38 Premier League games last season as the English giants endured their worst campaign for 51 years, finishing 15th in the table. The new arrivals have at least lifted the mood around Old Trafford, and the majority of the 75,000 fans in attendance could at least leave encouraged by the performance of Ruben Amorim’s men. Cunha and Mbeumo unsettled Arsenal’s normally unflappable centre-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba early on. Advertisement However, United’s good work was undone by a glaring error from Bayindir, who was deputising for the injured Andre Onana. The Turkish international meekly flapped at an inswinging Declan Rice corner on 13 minutes, allowing Calafiori the simplest of tasks to head into an unguarded net. Patrick Dorgu came closest to a United reply before half-time with a powerful effort from distance that came back off the post. Mbeumo and Cunha saw tame efforts easily saved by Raya, while the Spaniard did brilliantly to divert another Cunha shot across the face of the goal. Arsenal had held interest in Sesko for well over a year before pursuing a move for Viktor Gyokeres as the solution to their need for a number nine. The Swede had a quiet Premier League debut and was replaced before the hour mark by Kai Havertz. Sesko made his entrance moments later to a hero’s welcome after rejecting the advances of Newcastle for the lure of the 20-time English champions. United continued to enjoy the better of the play without finding the finish as Mbeumo saw a powerful header expertly clawed out by Raya. But Arsenal held firm to keep pace with title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, who also won on the opening weekend of the campaign. – © AFP 2025 Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here. 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