Manchester United showed promise under Ruben Amorim with £200m attacking signings, but a costly goalkeeping error from Altay Bayindir handed Arsenal victory. Old Trafford saw progress undone by a familiar flaw.

The start of a new season at Old Trafford often carries with it an air of rebirth. Fresh faces, fresh tactics, and the hope that the summer’s heavy spending spree will finally close the gap to English football’s frontrunners.

Manchester United certainly looked like a team reborn — at least in some areas. Ruben Amorim, now firmly stamping his identity on the side, has been given over £200 million to rebuild his attack. Bryan Mbeumo, plucked from Brentford, offered electricity and urgency down the right flank. Matheus Cunha buzzed between the lines. And late in the game, the towering Benjamin Sesko gave United a more direct outlet.

For large parts of the afternoon, the plan worked. United played front-foot football, pushed Arsenal back, and dominated possession in ways that felt like echoes of the glory years. The crowd, too, sensed something stirring — the hum of anticipation growing every time Mbeumo found space to run at his man.

And yet, even before the sun had dipped behind the Stretford End, the optimism had been punctured by the same flaw that has haunted this team for too long: uncertainty between the posts.

It took just 13 minutes for the afternoon to unravel. Declan Rice swung a teasing corner in from the left. Arsenal’s William Saliba rose with intent, though he hardly needed to do much. Altay Bayindir, deputising for the demoted Andre Onana, barely left his line. His flapping hand only redirected the ball toward his own goal, where Riccardo Calafiori bundled it across the line.

It was the kind of mistake that drains belief not just from the goalkeeper, but from every player in front of him. Amorim stood on the touchline, arms folded tightly, his expression frozen between disbelief and resignation. This was not the script he had written for opening day.

The cruel irony is that United had been the better team. The goal came not from Arsenal’s invention, but from their opponents’ self-destruction.

United fans have lived through this before. For all the billions spent since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, the position between the sticks has become a revolving door of hope and frustration. From David de Gea’s late decline to Onana’s troubled tenure, goalkeepers have too often defined United by their errors rather than their heroics.

At Old Trafford on Sunday, the sense of déjà vu was overwhelming. It wasn’t just a mistake. It was a reminder of the very gap United had chosen not to address in the transfer window.

Strip away the error, though, and United looked like a different side. Amorim’s philosophy was on full display. United played with courage, dictating tempo instead of reacting. They moved the ball with purpose, often pinning Arsenal inside their own half.

After an hour, United had enjoyed over 65 percent possession — not just sterile passing, but territory that carried intent. Patrick Dorgu struck the post, Mbeumo forced David Raya into two saves, and Cunha’s relentless running unsettled Arsenal’s back line.

The new arrivals looked like genuine upgrades. Mbeumo, in particular, was a revelation: direct, fearless, and determined to take on Riccardo Calafiori at every opportunity. He represented the kind of pace and unpredictability Old Trafford has long been missing.

But football matches are not won on possession graphs or half-chances. They are decided in both penalty areas, and in one of them, United were let down again.

Arsenal, meanwhile, were far from their best. Viktor Gyokeres, signed to add bite to their frontline, was a shadow of the player who terrorised defences in Portugal. Bukayo Saka was subdued, and Rice, alongside new signing Martin Zubimendi, struggled to get a foothold in midfield.

Yet Arsenal had the priceless advantage of an early lead, and with it, the confidence to sit tight. When Havertz replaced Gyokeres after an hour, Arsenal looked sharper, more composed, and more capable of withstanding United’s pressure.

They have played better at Old Trafford and lost. This time, with little more than grit and organisation, they left with three points.

For the fans streaming out of Old Trafford, the emotions were complicated. On one hand, there was encouragement. United had been progressive, fearless, and creative — qualities too often absent in recent seasons. They had not shrunk after conceding. They had kept pushing, forcing Arsenal to defend every inch of grass until the final whistle.

On the other hand, there was the inescapable frustration. How could a club of United’s wealth and ambition, having spent £200 million on attacking flair, still fail to fix the most obvious weakness in the squad?

Amorim, usually composed, snapped at questions afterwards. The irritation was clear. He had seen his side deliver one of their best displays under his watch, yet undone by a decision he did not make: the refusal to buy a goalkeeper.