Man United vs. Arsenal score: Premier League result, stats, highlights as Calafiori seals Old Trafford win

Arsenal made a winning start to their latest attempt to win the Premier League title as they edged a close game with Manchester United at Old Trafford 1-0.

Riccardo Calafiori nodded in the only goal of the game after 13 minutes after Altay Bayindir, starting in goal in place of the injured Andre Onana, had flapped tamely at a Declan Rice corner.

It was the 31st goal the Gunners have scored from corners since the start of last season, which is at least 11 more than any other team. Three of their most recent four league goals against United have come from defenders scoring at corners.

31 & 23 - Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Arsenal have scored the most goals from corners in the Premier League (31), while Manchester United have conceded the most from them (23). Inevitability. pic.twitter.com/1Im2BJk9X0

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 17, 2025

There was much to admire about United's performance, not least the efforts of their new-look attack featuring debutants Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. It was the new signings who came closest to getting United on the scoresheet, but David Raya thwarted both with good saves in each half.

By contrast, new Arsenal No. 9 Viktor Gyokeres looked laboured in his first hour of Premier League football for the club, but a largely imperious defensive display meant their blunt forward line did not prove to be a problem.

Arteta will no doubt be relieved to have claimed all three points when his team were not at their best. Counterpart Ruben Amorim will likely take some encouragement from United's efforts, but this is the eighth time in 12 months that they have lost a home league game without scoring a goal. Their road to recovery remains a long one.

Full commentary and highlights | Team news and starting lineups | Match stats

Man United vs. Arsenal score

Venue: Old Trafford
Referee: Simon Hooper

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Starting lineups (substitutes):

Man United (3-4-2-1, right to left): 1. Altay Bayindir (GK) — 15. Leny Yoro, 4. Matthijs de Ligt, 23. Luke Shaw (5. Harry Maguire) — 2. Diogo Dalot (16. Amad Diallo), 18. Casemiro (25. Manuel Ugarte), 8. Bruno Fernandes, 13. Patrick Dorgu — 19. Bryan Mbeumo, 7. Mason Mount (30. Benjamin Sesko) — 10. Matheus Cunha

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 1. David Raya (GK) — 4. Ben White (12. Jurrien Timber), 2. William Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 33. Riccardo Calafiori (49. Myles Lewis-Skelly) — 8. Martin Odegaard, 36. Martin Zubimendi, 41. Declan Rice (23. Mikel Merino) — 7. Bukayo Saka, 14. Viktor Gyokeres (29. Kai Havertz), 11. Gabriel Martinelli (20. Noni Madueke)

MORE: Why it's now or never for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal

Man United vs. Arsenal stats

Man United vs. Arsenal commentary and highlights

Fulltime

That's that! Arsenal see out an opening-day win thanks to Calafiori's 13th-minute header. There was plenty to be positive about in terms of United's performance, but once again in 2025, they lose a home game without scoring a goal. It's the eighth time that's happened since the start of last season.

FULL TIME. Arsenal hang on for a 1-0 win over Manchester United to begin their season. 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/VWGDXL6vWP

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) August 17, 2025

90+5 mins: Maguire wants a penalty for some holding in the box. United have to settle for a corner. The ball bounces around for a while, but Raya eventually gathers.

90+1 mins: Great block from De Ligt! Saka has a chance to fire at goal from 12 yards out, but United's No. 4 gets in the way. But the ball is deep in United's half, which is just where Arsenal want it... or it was. Lewis-Skelly takes a poor touch and has to foul Mbeumo to stop a counter.

90 mins: Amad and De Ligt combine well down the right, the latter pulls the ball back to Cunha, but Saliba halts his run. Great defending. We'll have a minimum of six minutes of added time...

88 mins: You know fans will never be shy about crying "SHOOOT!" when a player gets 30 yards from goal? I'm not sure they'll same the same to Ugarte again. That attempt ended up midway up the Stretford End.

86 mins: Arsenal have about four minutes plus stoppage time to see this out, and they look like they'll do just that. They've managed the game very well in this half.

82 mins: Rice takes it, and finds the corner of the net — but the wrong side. A few Arsenal fans thought that was in!

81 mins: Harry Maguire comes off the bench and is immediately forced to give away a foul on the edge of the box. Manuel Ugarte passed it straight to Havertz, who turned and ran towards goal. Arsenal could strike a real sucker-punch here...

79 mins: Amad leaves Madueke for dead on the edge of the box, but Arsenal clear their lines again. Shaw gets the ball back in the box and Amad goes to ground under the attention of Myles Lewis-Skelly, but no penalty will be given for that.

74 mins: GOOD SAVE, RAYA! Mbeumo gets a free jump at a header and nods the ball towards the corner, but Raya gets across to parry it away. Mbeumo had to generate a lot of pace on that attempt, and it wasn't quite enough.

70 mins: Cunha surges through midfield again and feeds Mbeumo, but a combination of Gabriel and Calafiori somehow scrambles the ball clear. United attack again, and Mbeumo improvises an overhead kick off a bouncing ball, which flies not far wide.

67 mins: Amad's cross hits Zubimendi, who plays the ball against his own arm. Amad and Mbeumo want handball, but there's nothing doing.

64 mins: The game has suddenly opened up again. United are trying to attack quickly but they're leaving themselves open to Arsenal counters. The Gunners still look quite comfortable. Perhaps Benjamin Sesko can change that — he's coming on...

60 mins: Viktor Gyokeres' Premier League debut for Arsenal ends after an hour. It's not been a brilliant hour. But his team is winning, and that's what matters. Martinelli is also off, with Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz on.

Twenty-one touches, nine passes, zero shots.

A difficult Arsenal debut for Viktor Gyokeres, who is replaced by Kai Havertz.#MUNARS | #AFC | #EPL pic.twitter.com/9ZkZFp2PbR

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) August 17, 2025

57 mins: Fernandes swings in a free-kick from close to the corner flag. It's a very similar delivery to Rice's for the goal, except Raya stands firm and punches the ball away, rather than towards his own net.

55 mins: Amorim blinks first: Amad Diallo is coming on for Diogo Dalot in the first change of the game.

53 mins: Arsenal have started the half on the front foot. United seem to have dropped off the pace a little.

Kickoff: Second half

No changes for either team at the break.

Halftime

Simon Hooper blows the whistle just as Cunha hoped to get forward down the Arsenal left. The Gunners will be happy to be leading, but Mikel Arteta will probably want a bit more from his players in possession. United have played fairly well, but they haven't created much by way of clear-cut chances.

44 mins: Mount and Cunha have combined well in this half, but again, their good work ends in a packed Arsenal penalty area blocking all routes to goal. Arsenal's defending has, for the most part, been impeccable.

38 mins: What a save from Raya! Cunha again holds off Rice before getting a shot away from a tight angle. Raya gets fingertips on the ball to divert it across the six-yard box. That may well have been creeping into the corner.

33 mins: Chances at both ends! Gyokeres stands up a great cross towards Gabriel Martinelli, who swipes at thin air with a scissor-kick attempt. United counter with Cunha, who bursts right through the middle of the Arsenal defence but hits his shot straight at Raya. A minute later, Mbeumo lays the ball off to Cunha, who tries his luck from 25 yards out but again finds Raya's gloves.

30 mins: SO CLOSE FROM DORGU! White is caught up the field as Arsenal lose the ball, and Fernandes sets Dorgu clear down that flank. His low shot has Raya beaten, but it hits the outside of the right-hand post and flies behind.

📸 - DORGU HITS THE POST! pic.twitter.com/T1LOjD388b

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) August 17, 2025

28 mins: Mount switches play to Mbeumo, who waits for Diogo Dalot to overlap... but waits a little too long. Dalot is offside. It's a fairly even game, but Arsenal are comfortable.

24 mins: A nervy moment for Raya, who is closed down by Matheus Cunha and nudged off the ball. Both men go to ground and the Brazilian asks about a penalty, but it was probably a 50-50 challenge.

22 mins: Arsenal are, unsurprisingly, looking much more settled now. United fans have gone quiet, that early momentum having vanished. They've seen their team start well yet fall behind, which was a bit of a theme at home last season.

13 mins: GOAL! ARSENAL LEAD AT OLD TRAFFORD! They've had a ragged start, but the Gunners break the deadlock thanks to another set-piece goal. Declan Rice swings in a corner, Bayindir punches lamely at the ball, and Calafiori nods it over the line at the back post. Bayindir felt William Saliba fouled him, but the officials don't agree.

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10 mins: Arsenal have tried a couple of long throws into the United box, first from Calafiori and now from White. This one causes a few problems, and Bayindir eventually clears after Leny Yoro's touch.

6 mins: Mason Mount plays a super throughball to Mbeumo, but his shot under pressure is fairly tame and David Raya saves easily. United have started quite brightly.

3 mins: Mbeumo's made a busy start. He nearly sets up Cunha for a run through at goal, but Ben White gets across to cut out the pass. Mbeumo caught Martin Zubimendi in the jaw with a raised arm in the build-up, which would likely have seen VAR involved had that attack led to anything more concrete.

Kickoff: First half

Here we go — Premier League football is back at Old Trafford!

15 mins before kickoff: Bayindir had quite the performance the last time he faced Arsenal...

BAYINDIR DENIES ODEGAARD FROM THE SPOT😱@ManUtd #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/2jxVD2tn5S

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 12, 2025

44 mins before kickoff: It must be a big occasion: Avram Glazer, United's co-executive chairman who doesn't exactly make a habit of going to games, has come to the game.

Avram Glazer here today with Omar Berrada.

He even stops for a selfie with a #mufc fan on his way pic.twitter.com/S5WcxGuasR

— Nathan Salt (@NathSalt1) August 17, 2025

1 hour before kickoff: Arsenal line up largely as expected. Riccardo Calafiori is in at left-back ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly. Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres start.

1 hour 10 mins before kickoff: United's team news is in! There are debuts for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, who join Mason Mount in attack. Bayindir does indeed start in goal. Sesko, Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee are all on the bench.

1 hour 40 mins before kickoff: It's also likely that Andre Onana does not feature for United today as the goalkeeper is still working his way back to full fitness from a hamstring injury that kept him out of preseason. Altay Bayindir will presumably start in goal.

1 hour 45 mins before kickoff: An early piece of a team news via The Athletic: it looks like Rasmus Hojlund will be omitted from the United squad today. The striker has effectively been encouraged to pursue a move away from the club after the arrival of Benjamin Sesko.

2 hours before kickoff: What a game for the opening weekend of the season.

Beautiful. pic.twitter.com/omTPWZQxqg

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 17, 2025

Man United vs. Arsenal kick off time

The match kicks off in Manchester, UK at 4:30 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Man United vs. Arsenal lineups, team news

Man United have two outstanding injuries in the squad. Lisandro Martinez suffered cruciate ligament damage earlier this year and is expected to miss the entirety of the first half of the upcoming season.

Andre Onana sustained a hamstring injury in July and had to sit out the preseason friendly matches. The Cameroonian goalkeeper is not ready return to action, so Altay Bayindir starts.

Benjamin Sesko is among the substitutes, which is not a surprise given he was not signed until after United had concluded their warm-up games. Rasmus Hojlund has been left out of the squad amid uncertainty over his future.

Man United starting XI (3-4-2-1, right to left): Bayindir (GK) — Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw — Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu — Mbeumo, Mount — Cunha

Man United subs: Heaton, Fredricson, Heaven, Maguire, Mainoo, Ugarte, Amad, Sesko, Zirkzee

Arsenal have Gabriel Jesus out due to the cruciate ligament tear back he sustained back in January. Otherwise, things look good for Mikel Arteta.

Riccardo Calafiori is fit and ready, while new signings Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres start. Leandro Trossard makes the squad despite a minor groin issue.

Arsenal predicted starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori — Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice — Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Arsenal subs: Kepa, Mosquera, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Nwaneri, Trossard, Madueke, Havertz

Man United vs. Arsenal live stream, TV channel

Here is how to watch the match in some of the world's major regions: