This highly anticipated Premier League season kicks off with a bang as Manchester United and Arsenal go head-to-head at Old Trafford. These two historic rivals are desperate to return to the top of English football.
Manchester United is looking to rebound from a disastrous domestic campaign, while Arsenal is determined to finally get their hands on a trophy after three seasons of finishing second.
Ruben Amorim, who finished a disappointing 15th in the league last season but won the Europa League, will be leading the Red Devils for his first full season. The club hopes he can turn things around, especially now that they have no European distractions and can focus solely on domestic success.
With Bruno Fernandes turning down a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia and some exciting new signings, Manchester United has shown promise in the preseason. They went undefeated in five friendly matches, winning the Premier League Summer Series title. While they had some impressive wins against West Ham and Bournemouth, draws with Leeds, Everton, and Fiorentina weren't as praiseworthy. Still, those back-to-back victories were a big deal, as they were the first time the Red Devils had achieved that feat all last season.
Manchester United has a strong history of winning their opening-day matches, with more Matchday 1 victories than any other team in the Premier League. A win against Arsenal would be especially historic, making them the first team to beat the Gunners 100 times in all competitions.
Arsenal, on the other hand, is confident after a strong preseason that culminated in a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao to win the Emirates Cup. New signing Viktor Gyokeres scored his first goal, and Martin Zubimendi got an assist, while Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz also found the back of the net. This win was a great way to bounce back after earlier friendly losses to Tottenham and Villarreal.
Mikel Arteta's team, which has finished second for the past three seasons, is ready for another title challenge. With fierce competition expected from Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea, this season promises to be a thrilling four-way race. The Gunners are focused on winning their fourth consecutive Premier League opener and maintaining their impressive scoring record at Old Trafford, where they've scored in their last 11 league matches.
The match will also be a showdown between two new strikers: Benjamin Sesko for Manchester United and Viktor Gyokeres for Arsenal. Both players joined their respective clubs this summer and are expected to make a big impact.
Amorim has confirmed that Sesko is ready for his Premier League debut and could lead the attack alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. While some players like Joshua Zirkzee and Andre Onana have been linked with moves away, they are expected to play. However, Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez are out with injuries.
Gyokeres is also likely to make his debut for Arsenal after his impressive performance in the final preseason friendly. If he scores, he would be just the third player ever to score against Manchester United at Old Trafford on their Premier League debut. Arteta is also hopeful that Leandro Trossard will be fit to play, with Gabriel Jesus being the only other major injury concern.
