Unless Manchester United can defend a corner, they will not turn one. Until Ruben Amorim’s big decisions succeed, the verdicts on his reign may be unflattering. A new season brought an improved United in various respects, but a third win at Old Trafford for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta. A club that once clinched a Premier League title on United turf can hope the road to another began with the same scoreline and at the same venue. “A big, big result,” said Arteta.
But Arsenal were given a helping hand by Altay Bayindir and, indirectly, Amorim. The Turkey international’s lame punch allowed Riccardo Calafiori to head in from a yard. If Viktor Gyokeres, the debutant striker, was supposed to be the final piece in Arteta’s jigsaw, there was something typical of his teams in that the goal came from the left-back.
