Manchester United primed to underline Bukayo Saka fear by repeating Arsenal's Premier League trick

Pre-season friendly results don't count for much and while United won just once on their US tour, that victory over Premier League rivals Arsenal did signal the Reds' ambitions and capabilities of overhauling the Gunners this season.

Nine points separated the sides last term as the closest challengers to Treble winners Manchester City. United are entering their second season under Erik ten Hag and, like Arsenal 12 months ago, look to have settled principles, players and plans.

United's clear and decisive transfer strategy has left the Reds well-placed to push on in 2023-24. Rasmus Hojlund will be the third summer arrival, with Ten Hag having got his wish of a new striker before the start of the season. Together with a new first-choice goalkeeper in the shape of Andre Onana and the addition of Mason Mount, United have secured three crucial signings in positions that needed addressing.

Want to join our MUFC Pro club for a totally ad-free version of the MEN's Man United app packed with premium features? Click here.

ALSO READ: Five Manchester United players facing crunch weekend in final pre-season audition

It’s a show of faith in Ten Hag, who steered his side to third place in the Premier League in his first campaign at Old Trafford as well as a pair of domestic finals with victory in the Carabao Cup over Newcastle United and a derby defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup.

The next challenge for Ten Hag is to close the gap to their city rivals in the league as they chase a first title since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson. There’s a feeling that United are well placed to improve on last term and to do so they’ll need to prove they can compete with the best the Premier League has to offer.

That includes Arsenal, who