Opening day, no hiding. Arsenal arrive with runner-up bite; Manchester United begin the Amorim era for real. Hurry. Purpose must meet detail.
Goalkeeper: André Onana returns early from injury, reclaiming the gloves after Altay Bayındır’s Fiorentina friendly. United need his feet and his calm.
Back three: Matthijs de Ligt slots in, Harry Maguire organizes, Leny Yoro learns fast. Lisandro Martínez is out, confirmed. Space must be murdered, not managed.
Wing-backs: Diogo Dalot restores balance on the right; Patrick Dorgu, first through the door this summer, raids and recovers on the left. Dorgu braces for Bukayo Saka’s isolations.
Midfield: a daring double pivot—Bruno Fernandes beside Casemiro. Creativity lives deep. So does risk. United must counterpress the instant possession flips, or Arsenal will stroll through the middle.
Front line: Bryan Mbeumo offers width and whip on the right; Matheus Cunha carries left-side chaos and link. And then Benjamin Šeško, the £74m headline. Long strides, near-post venom, ego contained by task. Arsenal wanted him; Old Trafford gets him.
The idea is simple: compress, spring, arrive with three. De Ligt’s first pass breaks pressure; Bruno’s second pass breaks hearts. Keep the distances, win the second ball, earn set pieces. Repeat.
Group identity matters now. United need a version of themselves the crowd can believe in—work, then wonder. Arsenal controls space; United must control moments. Watch Rice’s late arrivals. Track Ødegaard’s blind-side darts. Deny Saka inside. Foul transitions early together.
Predicted XI (3-4-3): Onana; de Ligt, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Šeško, Cunha.