The focus was on the potential striker showdown between Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, but in the end, neither player had a significant impact on the game. Gyokeres started for Arsenal and was substituted off after an hour, but he did not score, create any chances, or have a shot on or off target during his time on the pitch.

This was the first time in five years that Gyokeres did not score on the opening day of the season. He had previously scored for Coventry City in 2021/22 and 2022/23, for Sporting in 2023/24, and in 2024-25 for Rio Ave.

Benjamin Sesko arrived on the scene after Gyokeres' departure and contributed two shots off target, but it was not enough to change the course of the game.

Altay Bayindir was making his fifth Premier League appearance and had conceded 10 goals in his previous four games. Unfortunately for him, he was at fault for the only goal of the game, which was scored by Riccardo Calafiori in the 13th minute. Calafiori headed the ball home at the far post after Declan Rice swung in a corner.

This was Calafiori's third Premier League goal, and it came away from the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal had previously won their two other Premier League goals from corners.

Arsenal had adjusted well to their set-piece routines, and this goal was their 31st from a corner since the start of the 2023/24 season. They had 11 more goals from corners than any other team in the division.

Manchester United had taken the fight to Arsenal, with 69.7% possession of the ball and only nine passes in the opening 10 minutes, their fewest in a Premier League game since September 2022.

The Red Devils had failed to win any of their last six English top-flight matches when conceding first, and going behind again at home was the 13th occasion they had done so since the start of the previous campaign.

United still poured forward, having shot after shot, but Patrick Dorgu came closest to getting them back on terms, only to see his shot come back off the woodwork.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo had already combined to have more shots (4 - two each) than the entire Arsenal team (three) after 35 minutes of the match.

By contrast, the Gunners could only manage a total of four shots in the half, one of which came from Gabriel Martinelli, who was off colour and played only two passes in the entire opening 45 minutes.

Despite being under pressure for long periods, the fact that Arsenal still led at the break would have been of some significance in their dressing room, as they had lost only one of their previous 52 Premier League games when in front at half-time.

New United signing, Cunha, was in the thick of it, applying 48 separate pressures on the Gunners back line, by far the most of any player on the pitch leading up to the hour mark.

A flurry of substitutions from both sides in the space of 11 second-half minutes did little to alter the pattern of the match, and David Raya had to make five saves for the visitors as the hosts continued with their attacking assault.

Mbeumo's five shots were his most in a Premier League game since October 2023, indicating that he had done everything but score on the day.

Man Utd recorded 20+ shots against Arsenal for the first time since their 8-2 win in August 2011, and although Ruben Amorim lost his 15th Premier League game from the first 28 he's managed, the Portuguese will understand that on another day luck would have been with his team and they would have been rewarded for their efforts.

Raya's 50th clean sheet in the Premier League was also Martin Odegaard's 71st Premier League win as captain of the Gunners, bringing him level with Patrick Vieira. Only club legend Tony Adams has more victories as captain - 130.

Odegaard's 63 touches were also the most from an Arsenal perspective, and the Norwegian will lead his team with confidence again in their next fixture at home against Leeds United.

The Red Devils will lick their wounds and go again at Fulham in another Sunday afternoon clash.