Arsenal’s narrow 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday might not have been a showcase of dominance, but manager Mikel Arteta was thrilled to leave Old Trafford with a full three points in their Premier League opener.
Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal capitalized on a weak effort by Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, heading in an early corner, as Arsenal weathered a barrage of United attacks to clinch the victory.
“A massive result for the first game of the season against United at Old Trafford,” Arteta remarked after the match, which featured United’s new additions Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
“With them building something special with their new signings and aiming for a strong start, coming away with a win is very satisfying,” he added.
Arteta noted that his squad, having invested nearly 200 million pounds ($266.30 million) in the off-season following three consecutive second-place finishes, executed a few things effectively on Sunday.
“Capitalizing on set-pieces and responding to mistakes was crucial,” he noted. “Some mistakes were necessary, some unexpected, but each player’s reaction allowed us to win. Without that, it would be impossible. It’s about how we compete and our determination to succeed.”
Even though United was the superior team, Arteta emphasized that Arsenal’s ability to win despite not playing their best was encouraging.
“Even when we fall short in certain areas, as we did today, we can still find a way to win,” he said.
“The team needs to maintain that resilience over the season’s 10 months in various situations to achieve this.”
“Naturally, there’s much to improve, and that will happen soon. But turning this into a positive result is a fantastic way forward,” Arteta concluded.
Arsenal’s major summer signing, Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, didn’t shine on his Premier League debut and was substituted early in the second half.
“Overall, winning the first game against Manchester United is a strong start,” Arteta said.
