Manchester United’s season did not get off to a great start as they lost narrowly to Arsenal on Sunday. However, the team’s manager, Ruben Amorim, has expressed optimism in the team’s performance, while also claiming that his team can go toe-to-toe with any other team in the league.
United hosted Arsenal on their first outing of the 2025/26 Premier League season on Sunday. It was a tense atmosphere for all sides, especially for United, who were coming into the season on the back of a shambolic 2024/25 outing. Arsenal would go ahead early in the game, with Riccardo Calafiori heading in a ball from Declan Rice from close range. Both sides would bare their fangs from time to time, but the defender’s goal would prove to be the only one of the match and the eventual match winner.
Mixed emotions followed in the media and among fans. However, Amorim, who has been under fire for his management style, stated that his team played well enough against the Gunners to make him feel proud and optimistic for the rest of the season. He said this during his time with the journalists after the match.
He spoke about the circumstances leading to the goal first. “More or less the same that happened sometimes last year,” he began. “For me, it’s not playing the ball, it’s protecting the guys that they are attacking. I understand that we want goals, but when you’re touching the goalkeeper in that way, I think it’s hard. And especially to lose with a goal like this, I think it’s hard.
He added: “It’s hard to be strong when you have to push and to go for the ball. Sometimes you are pushing and then you don’t have more hands to go for the ball. We need to be stronger in that moment, but, especially, we need to do the same thing in the opposite side. So, we are not changing the rules. We have to adapt to the rules.”
Amorim then spoke about how active his players were compared to last season, despite the sentiments expressed by the journalists. “We were more aggressive than last year,” the former Sporting C manager said. “We sprint more. We were more brave. We let one against one all the game. We pressed high. And then with the ball, we have quality.
“Even when the stadium makes some sounds, we continue to play the way we play. We lost fewer balls in the build-up, compared to last year, was [where] we struggled a lot. And then the small things that we talk about in the beginning of this season, that players like [Matheus] Cunha, like Bryan [Mbeumo], in one moment can elevate the stadium. So, I think the most important thing, we were not boring.”
He continued: “It was a very good performance. I’m really proud of the players, but in the end, we lost the game. But again, for me, you can win and you can lose in the end, but I am proud of what they did, my players. It’s a good feeling. At the same time, it’s really hard to lose a game like this.
