Old Trafford, August 18 (HS): Manchester United’s lavish summer spending on a new-look attack failed to pay dividends in their Premier League opener, as Arsenal sealed a gritty 1-0 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday to kick-start their title challenge with three precious points.

The decisive moment came as early as the 13th minute, when Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori headed in after a costly misjudgment from United’s stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayındır, deputizing for the injured André Onana. It was a cheap concession that ultimately defined the contest.

Despite investing nearly £200 million this summer on reinforcements Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Šeško, United’s frontline looked blunt against Arsenal’s well-drilled defense. None of the trio managed to break down the Gunners’ resilient back line, marshaled superbly by Calafiori and goalkeeper David Raya, who produced key saves to preserve the clean sheet.

United threatened intermittently—Patrick Dorgu’s strike rattled the woodwork, while Mbeumo and Cunha spurned half-chances. Arsenal, meanwhile, saw new striker Viktor Gyökeres kept quiet and eventually replaced by Kai Havertz in the second half, as the visitors settled into a more pragmatic, defensive rhythm.

United pushed hard after the interval, but Arsenal absorbed the pressure, showing maturity and composure to see out the contest. For Mikel Arteta’s men—who have finished runners-up for the past three seasons—the result underlines their determination to finally go one better and capture a first league crown since the legendary ‘Invincibles’ campaign of 2003-04.

The win also keeps Arsenal level with direct title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, both of whom began their respective campaigns with victories. For Erik ten Hag’s United, however, the questions around balance and cutting edge in attack remain unanswered after a frustrating opening day.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar