Monday’s briefing: Arsenal edge first win after Chelsea strikeforce fires blanks

Arsenal took the honours in the first big clash of the Premier League season, battling to a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

There were signs of hope for Ruben Amorim’s side despite the result, while elsewhere Nottingham Forest made a fine start to the season and Chelsea played out a stalemate with Crystal Palace.

Altay Bayindir’s blunder handed Arsenal victory and undid a positive Manchester United performance in Sunday’s pulsating Premier League encounter.

Old Trafford rocked as Mikel Arteta’s runners-up headed to the rebuilding Red Devils in the most eye-catching fixture of the opening weekend.

United looked far better than the side that finished 15th last season – their worst top-flight campaign since 1974 – yet Amorim’s men fell to another loss as Riccardo Calafiori capitalised on Bayindir’s early flap.

United are a work in progress but summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo looked sharp on their debuts, while Patrick Dorgu hit a post in the first half.

Arsenal keeper David Raya also produced a string of important stops to keep the hosts at bay.

Bayindir’s difficult moment again put the spotlight on United’s goalkeeping situation.

The Turk was given the nod to start the game with Andre Onana still working his way back from injury.

Bayindir failed to deal with a corner, allowing Calafiori to nod in, but Amorim, felt his keeper was put in a very difficult situation.

“You’re allowed to do a lot of things in the corner, we need to do the same,” he said. “When you touch that way the goalkeeper, he needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not push players, or he chooses to push players and let the ball past.”

Last season Bayindir conceded directly from a Son Heung-min corner in a 4-3 Carabao Cup