Arsenal One Dead Ball, Manchester United Zero

MANCHESTER, SUNDAY — The presence of striker Viktor Gyokeres was not enough for Arsenal to no longer rely on set pieces. Unfortunately, it was almost solely set pieces that they could take pride in during their encounter with Manchester United. Arsenal was taken aback by MU, which dominated in all aspects, except for the final touch.

Football is often unfair, as demonstrated at Old Trafford Stadium on Sunday (17/8/2025 WIB). Arsenal snatched a 1-0 victory in the opening week thanks to a quick goal from wing-back Ricardo Calafiori from a corner kick. The home team, which was far superior both with and without ball possession, ended up losing.

Statistics can sometimes be misleading, failing to reflect the complete situation of a match. However, this was not the case last night. MU was superior on paper, with a total of 22 shots compared to 9 and ball possession of 61.2 percent. This dominance was evident throughout the 90 minutes at the stadium nicknamed the "Theater of Dreams."

It is understandable that MU coach Ruben Amorim finds it difficult to come to terms with the final result. "It is very hard to accept because I believe we were the better team today. We played better than Arsenal. We just need small details that can make a difference in the future. I am proud of the players," he stated.

Arsenal struggled to escape the pressure of the aggressive high block of the "Red Devils." On the other hand, the MU squad was able to easily break through the opponent's high block trap. As a result, MU successfully forced Arsenal to defend deeper in their own half. This situation was in stark contrast to what occurred in the last two meetings.

What is the key to MU's success in stopping Arsenal's "fluid" play? The answer is just one word: aggressiveness. Last season, the distance between MU players was often too great when pressing the opponent. This time, however, it is different. The 3-4-2-1 formation in the style of Amorim is executed better with players positioned closely together and a super aggressive approach.

Arsenal players were never allowed to have calm possession of the ball. There was always a Manchester United player ready to tackle, with wing-back Patrick Dorgu being one of the most active. So aggressive was the "Red Devils" that they had a clear advantage in duels on the ground (58 percent) and in the air (57 percent). As a result, the visiting team's play did not develop, with successful passes far below standard, at only 75 percent.

"The intensity, how they run (chasing the ball). They fight for every duel. They are very brave in one-on-one duels. I am very pleased with that bravery. From a defensive standpoint, I feel like I am seeing a different team. That is a good thing, but we certainly need victories," explained Amorim.

MU's attacks consistently pose a threat with sharp penetrations from both flanks. Debut striker Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo successfully troubled Arsenal. However, the "Red Devils" have yet to optimize their finishing. MU's latest acquisition, Benjamin Sesko, came on as a substitute but has not yet proven to be a solution.

Arsenal should be grateful to goalkeeper David Raya and the four aligned defenders who performed brilliantly. They played very calmly in dealing with relentless attacks and numerous scrambles that occurred in the penalty area. "The Gunners" demonstrated their quality as a team with the best defensive line over the past two seasons.

Arsenal Jersey

Arsenal immediately donned their third jersey in the opening match. The collared jersey in white appears classic and luxurious. The issue is that the beauty of the uniform is not reflected in the performance of the team coached by Mikel Arteta. Arsenal aimed to rely on quick counter-attacks, but instead, they seemed rushed.

Gyokeres received a lot of criticism during his debut. Netizens even commented that the Swedish national team striker spent more time fixing his hair than touching the ball. He recorded only four successful passes, with no shots and no created chances, before being replaced by Kai Havertz in the 60th minute.

Gyokeres indeed performed poorly. However, in reality, there was no player in Arsenal's attacking line who played well. The main star of "The Gunners," Bukayo Saka, was hardly visible throughout the match. Marked by Dorgu, he only managed to complete one dribble out of five attempts. The last accurate shot on target for Arsenal was produced in the 35th minute.

This means that the team's attacking system is indeed problematic. Arteta acknowledged this issue. "Clearly, we are not at our best performance. However, we showed resilience and determination to win. They cornered us. You have to experience difficult situations and find a way to win. We managed to do that," said Arteta.

Set pieces have once again been Arsenal's savior. They have scored 21 goals from this setup since the start of last season. No other team in the league has matched that feat. Arsenal continue to employ the same setup for corner kicks, using an inswinger pass and crowding the opposing goalkeeper.

If they want to end their title drought, Martin Odegaard and his teammates will certainly need to improve their creativity in open play. They were particularly weak in that area last season. Arsenal, meanwhile, only managed 0.29 xG (expected goals) from open play at Old Trafford, far below Manchester United's 1.35 xG.

On the other hand, the results of the match were also presented by MU, which did not learn from its mistakes. Three out of the last four goals scored by Arsenal against them were always made from corner kicks. In fact, even a donkey does not fall twice into the same hole. (AP/REUTERS)