Arsenal clinched a gritty 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening weekend, thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s 13th-minute header. Though the score line favoured the Gunners, Bukayo Saka didn’t hold back in his assessment.
“It was not a great performance,” Saka said. “We were not up to our usual standards, the basics, sloppy giveaways. Our decision-making was not great and that cost us and gave United a lot of momentum. We did not get punished for it, but we can not do it every game.”
Saka’s comments were backed by the statistics. United out-shot Arsenal 22 to nine and dominated possession, holding over 60 percent of the ball. But Mikel Arteta’s side showed discipline and resilience, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães marshalling the defence impressively. Goalkeeper David Raya also produced crucial interventions to preserve the clean sheet.
"Character and spirit... it was phenomenal"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 17, 2025
Mikel Arteta praised the way his team responded to mistakes in their 1-0 victory over Man Utd 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Qhaz4BEouN
Saka also weighed in on the debut of new signing Viktor Gyökeres, who had a subdued outing and was replaced after an hour. “I was impressed with him and he battled for us,” Saka said of his new team-mate Viktor Gyokeres. “His performance gives us something to build on and I am sure it will help him next week. He has slotted in well and so have the other guys.”
One of the more intriguing talking points surrounded Arsenal’s innovative approach to a new law requiring goalkeepers to release the ball within eight seconds. Arsenal players appeared to block Bayindir's ability to distribute, forcing a corner from one such incident before the referee stepped in. While controversial, it reflected Arteta’s willingness to find small tactical edges in tight matches.
