Amorim’s System Shows Promise Despite Defeat in Premier League Showdown
Back in 2011, the first season I had the privilege of watching United seriously, Arsenal came to Old Trafford and were thrashed 8–2. The frankly ridiculous double pivot of Anderson and Tom Cleverley patrolled midfield that day, and somehow it didn’t matter. Today, when United kicked off this season’s opener against Arsenal, the memory that came rushing back was Ashley Young’s curling strike into the top corner that day—a stark reminder of just how much the footballing landscape has shifted since. Back then, United were the side dishing out the humiliation; now, Arsenal arrive as title contenders while United enter off their lowest Premier League finish of the modern era. In that context, while the 1-0 defeat at home stings, the real takeaway is how different it felt from last season’s disjointed and lifeless performances.
United were sharper from the start, pressing with energy and playing with composure rarely seen in recent years. They held 61 percent of possession, outshot Arsenal 22–9, and generated 1.59 xG to Arsenal’s 1.05. Amorim highlighted that shift after the game: “We were more aggressive than last year. We sprinted more. We were braver. We went one-on-one all game. Then with the ball, we had quality. We lost fewer balls in the buildup compared to last year. Players like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo can elevate the stadium. I think the most important thing: we were not boring.” For a fan base that has sat through season after season of sterile football, that last line landed.
The plan was clear. Amorim used Matheus Cunha as a mobile number nine, flanked by Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount, as well as wingback Patrick Dorgu, who pushed high on the left. Arsenal struggled with the pace and directness. Within six minutes, Mbeumo forced David Raya into a save, while Dorgu cracked the post after bursting forward. Even Martin Ødegaard admitted at halftime that the pace had been “a bit too hectic” for Arsenal. Yet United’s good work was undone by an all-too-familiar weakness: set-piece defending. Declan Rice’s cross floated over goalkeeper Altay Bayındır, who failed to deal with the typical pushing-and-shoving happening in the box, leaving Riccardo Calafiori to nod the ball into an empty net just thirteen minutes in.
Where last year United might have folded, this time they kept playing their football. Cunha drove at defenders with purpose, forcing Raya into two fine stops, while Mbeumo’s movement unsettled Arsenal’s back line all afternoon. Amorim praised their impact: “Cunha and Bryan gave us solutions we didn’t have before. Raya was their best player today, and that says everything about how we attacked.” The statistics back him up: United carved out better chances than they did in most of their league games last season, even if the finishing touch was missing. Raya’s saves and Arsenal’s elite center-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel were ultimately the difference.
Amorim’s changes reinforced that sense of cohesion. Benjamin Šeško made his long-awaited debut, Amad Diallo provided a more offensive option replacing Diogo Dalot, and Manuel Ugarte attempted to bring energy off the bench in place of Casemiro. While Šeško struggled to impose himself, his introduction allowed Cunha to drop deeper and continue driving United forward. There were certainly many things to improve on: too many low-quality shots and an unbalanced attacking shape at times. Yet, the contrast with last season’s incoherence was striking. Arsenal, for their part, failed to register a single shot on target in the second half and looked uncharacteristically vulnerable.
Perspective is still necessary. United remain anchored to old problems, with squad balance and financial uncertainty unresolved by a change in ownership that has so far brought little more than chaos to a club long treated as a cash cow by the Glazer family. But as for Sunday itself, United demonstrated themselves to be a team with a clear tactical identity and the courage to play front-foot football against one of Europe’s best. Amorim struck the right note afterward: “We are at the beginning. It’s about the way we play, not just one result. Today we lost, but the fans saw a team with courage.” For a fanbase worn down after years of seemingly aimless drifting, simply seeing a United squad that looked organized and courageous was worth far more than the three points lost today.
