The Red Devils' shiny new strikeforce excited the Old Trafford faithful but they were let down by their hapless goalkeeper
Manchester United's expensive new front line looks like money well spent after Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha gave Arsenal a real fright but Altay Bayindir's blunder in the 1-0 defeat underlined the need for the club to invest in a new goalkeeper.
The Turkish goalkeeper's weak hand pushed a Declan Rice corner towards the far post and would have resulted in an own goal had Ricardo Calafiori not nudged it over the line with his head. The blunder undid a very positive start from United, as Mbeumo bullied Arsenal's defenders and flew forward with intent, even if his final shot was lacking.
United defended well throughout and Arsenal barely troubled Bayindir after scoring, making the goalkeeper's error all the more frustrating. New £74m signing Benjamin Sesko made his debut in the second half but could not come to the rescue, missing the target with his only opportunity.
GOAL rates Man United's players from Old Trafford…
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Altay Bayindir (3/10):
Onana's absence should have given him extra motivation but instead he showed that United need two new goalkeepers, conceding a second goal directly from a corner after a similar mishap at Tottenham last year. And the most frustrating thing about the clanger is he was barely tested otherwise.
Leny Yoro (6/10):
Dealt well with Viktor Gyokeres and kept Gabriel Martinelli quiet. The only criticism was his slow distribution and his reluctance to play long-range passes.
Matthijs de Ligt (7/10):
A typically solid display after missing the back end of last season. Stayed on top of Gyokeres and quickly snuffed out any danger. It was a shame he got so little contact on his effort deep in added time.
Luke Shaw (6/10):
Looked comfortable among the centre-backs, keeping Bukayo Saka shackled for much of the game.
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Diogo Dalot (5/10):
Defended well but did not offer enough in attack. It was no great surprise when Amad replaced him in the 55th minute.
Casemiro (6/10):
Had good positional sense and his ability to break up play and then telegraph a pass to Mbeumo sparked one of United's best moves.
Bruno Fernandes (6/10):
Played an inviting pass for Mbeumo but mostly stayed further back in midfield, trying to influence proceedings from deep with mixed results.
Patrick Dorgu (6/10):
Built on his good pre-season campaign with a decent display. Almost levelled with a shot off the post but the less said about his earlier 30-yard effort, the better.
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Bryan Mbeumo (7/10):
A very bright debut, getting fans off their seats whenever he charged forward. Demonstrated his pace and power and although he couldn't conjure a goal he has already lit up United's attack.
Mason Mount (6/10):
Playing false nine is not his forte but he worked hard and could be spotted all over the pitch, even at left-back.
Matheus Cunha (7/10):
A classy display, opening up lots of space behind Arsenal's defence. Had one of the best efforts of the game, denied by a finger-tip save from Raya in the first half.
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Amad Diallo (6/10):
Gave United an extra edge going forward but failed to trouble Raya with his one effort.
Manuel Ugarte (6/10):
Gave the team an injection of energy although his wayward long-range strike was a waste of a good field position.
Benjamin Sesko (5/10):
Not exactly the debut he would have imagined. A glancing header which went well wide of the target was his only real contribution.
Harry Maguire (N/A):
Thrown on in the 80th minute to cause chaos in attack but didn't manage to unnerve the Gunners.
Ruben Amorim (6/10):
Not starting Amad showed his sense of caution and Mount as a false nine was another surprise which did not really work. He will be encouraged by the performance, however, if not the result.
