MANCHESTER UNITED suffered an opening day defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Riccardo Calafiori’s 13th minute strike, courtesy of an error from Altay Bayindir, was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for the Gunners.
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That’s despite United outplaying Arsenal with a new-look attack.
Here, SunSport’s tactical guru Dean Scoggins delivers the lowdown on the weekend’s biggest match…
BAY WATCH
Bayindir, the goal, you know what’s going to happen. Saka and Rice are going to stick the ball under the crossbar.
Arsenal are going to throw their big guns straight at you, line up at the back post, at the edge of the area, and throw themselves onto you.
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Arsenal, when defending, give their goalie a lot of protection. It gives protection from runners and also space for the keeper to come out and dominate that area. It’s a ‘forcefield’ defence.
Compare that to United and it’s a stark difference. Straight away United put pressure on their own keeper inside their area, creating their own problem.
They give Bayindir no room to run. The cross from Rice is sensational and there’s 11 players in the box when it comes. Only three are Arsenal.
The goalie doesn’t cover himself in glory, he’s got to do better. Goalkeeper error, yes. But Arsenal do corners better than United at both ends and that’s the difference between three points and no points.
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Amorim and the set-piece coach should have a better plan than that. It’s not a difficult tweak to bring them out and give the goalie more protection.
The keeper also has to be better, there’s no foul from Saliba, he’s got to be bigger, stronger and punch the ball.
NEW BOYS LACK SESK APPEAL
It won’t be a memorable performance for Viktor Gyokeres but there were good signs.
He’s come up against a big quality centre-back in Matthijs de Ligt, it was a really good battle.
He had to come into midfield to get the ball into his feet at the halfway line, so when Arsenal broke they weren’t very good.
Saka and Martinelli didn’t quite get into the game. Gyokeres wants the ball early each time, he’s the big No9.
They have to learn his runs and he’s got to get the timings right.
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It wasn’t what he wanted on his first game but there were promising signs.
It was disappointing that Benjamin Sesko didn’t start. United missed him in the first half.
A lot of times Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo went at Arsenal but were outnumbered.
There were five, six, seven opportunities they got the ball around the box with runners but didn’t drag someone in.
Sesko later made a fabulous run as a decoy to show his strength as a focal point. There were positives for United and they will only get better.
MBEUM AND BUST
He’s probably the best signing of the summer for United. Him and Cunha were both excellent. They can go out, in and beyond.
It’s a three dimensional attack now. Mbeumo running with the ball is excellent.
I’d liked to have seen Amad Diallo start ahead of Diogo Dalot for running up the outside.
Tactically Mbeumo is very intelligent with his starting position.
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He gave the defender a problem when the ball was nowhere near him.
He sat in the half space, forcing Rice to pick him up as Calafiori went up.
United fans can be very excited about what they will get from him this season.
Mo Salah, Cole Palmer, both play the same way. Really positive start from Mbeumo, all it was missing was a goal.
RICE ’N FIORI
I was surprised Calafiori started over Myles Lewis-Skelly.
He played the flying full-back in this game. But he was in the same space as Rice, which is where Arsenal usually attack from, as an inverted full-back.
Calafiori is more of a wildcard player than Lewis-Skelly and covers a lot of grass.
Because United play 3-4-3, it leaves Arsenal with just two midfielders when Odegaard wanders.
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Rice was the cover man and Zubimendi the ball player, so they needed another in there.
Calafiori wasn’t able to make those bursting runs that you expect from Rice though.
He is likely to interchange with Lewis-Skelly throughout the season. It will be a style thing.
A team who push up high, Calafiori is an outlet. If you think you’re having the possession, then it’s Lewis-Skelly who allows Rice to get forward.
YORO… IS IT ME YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?!
United were really impressive playing out. De Ligt goes into midfield next to Casemiro.
Yoro and Shaw split, and the wingbacks go to the touchline. If United had that extra number in attack they could have got in behind more.
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Gyokeres would get his press wrong and the goalie would just give it to Yoro.
The most touches of any player on the field, and the most forward passes of any player on the field.
It was really good from United. A new set-up of playing out and really impressive on the ball from Yoro.
They knew what they were doing and they did it really well.
