Man United vs. Arsenal score, highlights: Gunners kick off Premier League campaign with win at Old Trafford

Riccardo Calafiori scored the deciding goal off an early corner kick

Arsenal started their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday, capitalizing on a defensive error during a game in which both sides failed to generate a lot of quality attacking chances. The game's lone goal came after just 13 minutes courtesy of Riccardo Calafiori, who converted after the Gunners' earned their first corner of the match. The visitors offered a reminder of their set piece prowess after scoring 15 goals off those opportunities in the Premier League last season but Calafiori benefitted from United's sloppiness in defense, with goalkeeper Altay Bayındir being outmuscled on the play and failing to do much to stop Calafiori's goal.

Both sides were deeply flawed, perhaps the result of preseason rust, but United were the dominant side with more than 60% possession and upwards of 20 shots in the hopes of scoring an equalizer. The Red Devils seemed imbalanced throughout and lacked quality in their opportunities, though the Gunners' attacking operation was almost nonexistent in the second half as they did little to extend their lead.

The match offered both teams a chance to introduce their high-profile new signings, the group coming up with a mixed bag. Arsenal's new No. 9 Viktor Gyokeres took zero shots while United's Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha were active but ineffective, while the Red Devils' Benjamin Sesko did not make a huge impact off the bench.

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[Aug 17, 2025 at 11:46 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

13' Manchester United's bright start is officially a thing of the past. Arsenal may not have had much to do with the ball yet but they earn the game's first corner by the 13th minute and Riccardo Calafiori pops the ball in the back of the net, a new set piece routine going well for the Gunners. They received a massive helping hand from a sloppy United defense, though, with Altay Bayındir outmuscled by William Saliba during the sequence and providing a golden opportunity for the visitors.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems. Arsenal were one of the best teams in the Premier League from set pieces last season, with 15 goals from those opportunities, while United set a record in 2024 for most set piece goals conceded in a single calendar year with 17.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 1:27 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

That's a wrap at Old Trafford, where Arsenal kick off their Premier League title quest with all three points, though may not walk out of the stadium as the better team. United had more than 60% possession and 21 shots but could not find an equalizer. There are maybe signs of encouragement for the United faithful, who have been looking for just that for quite some time, while the Arsenal fans will hope this is just a sign of preseason rust and not a signal of things to come.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 1:14 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

83' Arsenal have not spent a lot of time looking for a second goal but they earn a freekick close to United's goal. Declan Rice takes a crack at it and to little surprise, he almost doubles the Gunners' lead but sends the ball just wide of the goal. That is only Arsenal's second shot of the second half, by the way, and they have not generated a ton of chances from open play. It's not an inherently uncommon strategy from Mikel Arteta's side but it has been a particularly underwhelming one today -- could be the fact that these players might still be in preseason mode but the way they're playing means it's easy to argue that United have been the more encouraging team today (even if they are deeply imperfect).

[Aug 17, 2025 at 1:06 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

75' Manchester United are still dominating possession and doing well in build-up, much as they were in the first half, and this time there are plenty of bodies in the box to hopefully put the ball in the back of the net. There may be too many cooks in the kitchen right now, though -- Bryan Mbeumo does his best with a chance but it's a scramble in the box and he cannot get a great shot off, while Benjamin Sesko manages something similar in his first sizable involvement in a Premier League match.

They've picked things up in the last 10 minutes or so and now have six chances in the second half, up from two before Sesko came on, but they are getting dangerously close to losing this game on a sloppy defensive error rather than getting a result they might feel they deserve.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 12:56 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

66' Not that the first half had a lot to write home about but the second half has been more about notable substitutions than shots. (This is not an overreaction -- there have only been three shots so far since the break, none on target and totaling just 0.16 expected goals.) Anyway, Benjamin Sesko is on for his competitive  Manchester United debut and hopefully now that both sides have made a pair of attacking changes each, it's time for someone, anyone to inject some life into this second half and generate some real action in front of the goals. No pressure!

[Aug 17, 2025 at 12:51 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

61' Arsenal's MIkel Arteta now goes to his bench, bringing on Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz for Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli. It almost went under the radar in the first half but midway through the second, it's worth mentioning that Arsenal have not really been up to much today -- perhaps they are still shaking off the preseason rust but even as a defense-first team, they have been unusually understated at Old Trafford and have just one shot so far in the second half.

They hope Havertz will jazz things up and the same is true for Madueke, who was perhaps the best pick-up in Chelsea's seemingly annual flash sale. Gyokeres leaves his Premier League debut without taking a single shot, which is underwhelming but perhaps just a sign of his newness.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 12:45 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

56' Ruben Amorim goes to Manchester United's bench and brings on Amad Diallo for Diogo Dalot. It's clearly a move with the attack in mind -- Diallo had 11 goals in all competitions last season.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 12:36 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

No changes to speak of for either side but we shall see if the patterns of the first half hold. United will definitely be eager to get more end product out of his attacking unit after 45 minutes of decent build-up play but few meaningful opportunities to speak of.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 12:23 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Manchester United may look more competent than they did last season, dominating possession and doing well in build-up, but perhaps the comparisons to last season make for an overly generous read for how the Red Devils have performed so far today. Their weaknesses are still fairly obvious on either end of the pitch -- they have generated just 0.62 expected goals from 11 shots in the first half, Arsenal much, much more efficient with 0.8 expected goals from five shot. The game's lone goal also offers the starkest reminder that United remain pretty vulnerable to individual mistakes at the back, forcing questions about how meaningful their build-up play actually is without a lot of great goalscoring opportunities to back it up.

It makes you wonder if manager Ruben Amorim will go to the bench at halftime, or early in the second half. He opted against starting a true striker by leaving Benjamin Sesko on the bench and omitting Rasmus Hojlund entirely, Matheus Cunha serving as the player most far forward so far. There might be a case for Sesko to enter the game early in the second half, especially since United may need more numbers in the box when they create opportunities.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 12:03 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

32' Manchester United have slipped back into their possession-minded pattern that preceded Arsenal's goal, hoping their wide players will drive the ball forward and create some dangerous chances. They have done well in the former category and not so well in the latter but Patrick Dorgu has been fairly busy on the left flank and manages a very nice shot from distance, one that barley misses the target.

The plan seems to be in motion but there's not a lot of end product to discuss -- United have six shots to Arsenal's two but have generated just 0.36 expected goals to the Gunners' 0.65. They have fallen flat in a lot of ways in the attacking third, with Mbeumo becoming somewhat silent and United now resigned to taking chances from distance, those opportunities promising but a sign that there's a lack of creativity in attack that would allow them to unlock Arsenal's defensive shape.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 11:42 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

8' Neither side has really gotten into a rhythm just yet -- no big surprise in the opening minutes of the very first game of the season -- but if one person's stood out so far, it's Bryan Mbeumo. A lot of the early action has been on the right flank and Mbeumo has done what he could to steer the ball towards goal, even getting the game's first shot. Not much has come of it yet but United have had plenty of possession to start this one, which could create a really fascinating dynamic if they keep this up.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 11:32 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

The match is officially underway at Old Trafford.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 11:25 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is describing goalkeeper Andre Onana's exclusion from the squad as a tactical decision, though Onana's fitness makes for important context. He sustained a hamstring injury in July and missed United's preseason friendlies, with Altay Bayındir and Tom Heaton filling in instead. Onana was available for selection but has trained just three times with the team ahead of the start of the season and is reportedly working on his own at the training ground today instead.

In pre-match remarks today, Amorim described the team selection as a push-and-pull of things, not least of which includes the form of the other goalkeepers during preseason.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 11:10 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Manchester United have traded Sir Alex Ferguson's glory days for a decade-plus of chaos, which makes the seemingly salacious question of Ruben Amorim's employment status a realistic topic of conversation. He may be kicking off his first full season in charge today but patience might be thin at a chaotic club, almost leaving him to the mercy of his employers. It is worth asking, though, if Amorim is actually the right fit for the job.

Amorim was right to insist last season that the squad he inherited was suited for his preferred 3-4-3 formation but even then, some of his tactical decisions were suspect. In the Europa League final, the manager said he arranged his team to account for the fact that Tottenham Hotspur inverted their wingbacks, something then-Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou rarely did. Postecoglou stuck to his tried-and-true approach despite ditching his attack-minded strategy, the first half becoming a waste because of Amorim's miscalculation. The Red Devils found a way to improve after the break, but Amorim was slow to make substitutions as his side clawed their way back into the game. His approach lends credence to the idea that he is inflexible, a fascinating contrast to Postecoglou, who faced similar accusations but changed things with a trophy on the line, all while missing several key players through injury.

[Aug 17, 2025 at 10:55 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

It is still very early in the Premier League season but with the first weekend almost over, it feels like the title race will be contested by three teams -- reigning champions Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal. Each of them spent big in the summer to stake a claim at England's top prize and the first two registered lopsided wins to open the season on a high. The onus is now on Arsenal to get off to winning ways, especially as they try to get over the hump and finally win the title.

The Gunners have not been runners-up for three seasons in a row for a lack of trying -- manager Mikel Arteta has built one of Europe's best defensive teams and was bolstered by smart squad building by Edu, their ex-sporting director who now works at Nottingham Forest. The hypothesis heading into this season was that they were just one or two players away from first place, targeting midfielder Martin Zubimendi and forward Viktor Gyokeres as the final pieces of the puzzle. In his predictions for this season, though, James Benge argued that it might not be enough.

• Benge: "Their business this summer has addressed the greatest flaw of last season's squad, deepening Arteta's options so that he can afford to give Bukayo Saka or Gabriel Magalhaes the night off. If Viktor Gyokeres clicks -- and Arsenal's recruitment track record means fans should trust he was among the best strikers they could get -- then this team can get back to the 90-plus goal peak of 2023-24. ... Better players, better fitness, better luck: it might all not be enough to end what probably now constitutes a mini-drought of five years without trophies. Arsenal's misfortune is they find themselves in competition with two other immaculately run hyperclubs plus whatever the Champions League throws at them."

[Aug 17, 2025 at 10:39 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Viktor Gyokeres leads the line for Arsenal, finally making his Premier League debut despite spending four seasons at Brighton and Hove Albion earlier in his career. He is not the only fresh face in the Gunners' lineup, though, with Martin Zubimendi slotting into a place in midfield. See Arsenal's starters and substitutes below.

Arsenal starting XI: David Raya, Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli

Substitutes: Cristhian Mosquera, Jurien Timber, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly

[Aug 17, 2025 at 10:34 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Manager Ruben Amorim hands a start to new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, while new forward Benjamin Sesko is on the bench and will have to wait a little bit for his Premier League debut. Forward Rasmus Hojlund was left out entirely and so was goalkeeper Andre Onana, with Altay Bayındir getting the nod in goal instead and Tom Heaton on the bench. Onana dealt with a hamstring injury during preseason and though Amorim said he had recovered in time for today's match, he clearly will not be taking part. Take a look at United's team to face Arsenal below.

Manchester United starting XI: Altay Bayındir, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Casemior, Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu, Bryan Mbuemo, Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount

Substitutes: Harry Maguire, Joshua Zirkzee, Amad Diallo, Tom Heaton, Manuel Ugarte, Ayden Heaven, Benjamin Sesko, Tyler Fredricson, Kobbie Mainoo

[Aug 17, 2025 at 10:14 am ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Hello and welcome!

The opening weekend of Premier League action culminates with the most anticipated match of Matchday 1 -- Arsenal's trip to Manchester United. Each side will hit the pitch at Old Trafford with high ambitions but very different ones, with the Gunners targeting their first Premier League title in 20 years and United hoping to correct course after their 15th place finish last season. New signings could make their Premier League debuts for both sides, most notable among them Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres and United attacker Benjamin Sesko.

Stick around for pre-game notes and live coverage once the match begins.