Any Manchester United vs. Arsenal fixture is rarely devoid of narratives, and this opening weekend Premier League clash was laden with storylines.
The Gunners’ make-or-break 2025–26 campaign started at a ground they’ve historically struggled at, and a rejuvenated Man Utd outfit were their tricky first opponents.
There were plenty of things worthy of keeping an eye on at the Theatre of Dreams, and many hoped to enjoy a battle between two new sharpshooters. Viktor Gyökeres and Benjamin Šeško were perhaps neither Arsenal nor Man Utd’s first-choice striker option entering the summer window, with the Gunners particularly bullish on the Slovenian hitman but, unlike the Red Devils, were deterred by RB Leipzig’s demands.
Šeško was unveiled to the United faithful last weekend during their final preseason outing of the summer, and it wasn’t a huge surprise to see him absent from Ruben Amorim’s starting lineup on Sunday.
As a result, there was no grand battle between the two fresh faces, but both made their bows in the English top-flight in a fixture boasting so much prestige.
