'The anti-hero who struck terror into defenders'
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Daily Mirror
a few seconds ago
- Daily Mirror
Roy Keane asks Mikel Arteta pointed question despite Arsenal win over Man Utd
Arsenal beat Manchester United in their first Premier League match of the new season but pundit Roy Keane still felt last season's runners-up have questions to answer Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane questioned Arsenal's willingness to sit on a 1-0 lead despite the London side winning at Old Trafford. One goal was enough for the Gunners this time, with Riccardo Calafiori securing victory, but that might not always be the case. Last season, dropped points from winning positions cost Mikel Arteta's side dear. They led in seven of their last eight matches but won only three, throwing away leads against Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. "You wonder why Arsenal are still coming up short - it's because they are still happy to sit back at 1-0," Keane said on Sky Sports. "And then you think, is that the reason you drew so many games last year? "You compare that to Man City and Liverpool. They are always looking to go on and get the second or the third. Even on a bad day they can score two or three goals." Liverpool and City each scored four on the opening weekend of the season, though the reigning champions were pegged back from 2-0 to 2-2 before beating Bournemouth. The draws stat alluded to by Keane relates to the 14 Arsenal chalked up in the league, as they finished 10 points behind Liverpool despite losing the same number of matches. Keane's fellow pundit Micah Richards was impressed by Arsenal's resolve at the back. However, he also appeared to indicate a more ambitious attacking mindset might reduce the need for that kind of defending. 'It's how much you can dig deep," Richards said. "What has helped Arsenal stay in title races in recent years is that when they get into that low block, they are very difficult to break down. Then you add in the set-pieces and they are a good team. I would just like to see them be a little more brave.' Arsenal boss Arteta was under no illusions about the quality of his team's display but was happy with the result. "We came here away and won which is a big result," the Spaniard said. "We were clearly not at our best. We attacked the box and we reacted well to unusual mistakes. The team reacted time after time in an incredible way. Very proud of that because that is why we got the opportunity to win the game. "We showed a resilience and a will to win. They put you on the ropes here, you will have to have moments when you suffer. To find a way to win at this ground, I'm very happy with the team." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Reuters
a few seconds ago
- Reuters
Arsenal's Arteta relieved to escape from Old Trafford with a win
MANCHESTER, England, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday was far from a masterful performance against the better side but manager Mikel Arteta was delighted to escape from Old Trafford with all three points in their Premier League season-opener. Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori took advantage of a weak challenge from Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir to head home an early corner and then the London side survived an onslaught of United attacks as they dug in to secure the win. "A big, big result coming into the first game of the season against (United) at Old Trafford," Arteta said after facing a side fielding new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. "When you feel that they are building something special and momentum with the new signings and they want to kick off the season in a good way and you are able to come away with the win, I'm very happy I'm part of the team." Arteta said his side, which spent nearly 200 million pounds ($266.30 million) in the close season after three consecutive second-place finishes, did a couple of things well on Sunday. "One, to take the set-piece and then react to especially mistakes," he said. "Some of them are necessary, some of them unusual. But the way every single player reacted to that gives us the opportunity to win the game. If not, it's impossible. And that's about how we compete and how much we want to take it." While United were the better team, Arteta said Arsenal winning while not at their best was a reason for confidence. "When you're not at your standards in certain aspects, which today we weren't, being fair, we can still come away and find a way to win the game," he said. "And the team has to find that resilience throughout the season for 10 months in different contexts to be able to do that. "Of course, we have to improve a lot of things and that will happen very soon. But in terms of managing to get that into a very positive result, that's a great way to do it." Arsenal's main close-season signing, Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, did not stand out on his Premier League debut and was substituted early in the second half. "But overall, coming away to Manchester United, winning your first game with Arsenal, it's a good start," Arteta said.
The Sun
a few seconds ago
- The Sun
Viktor Gyokeres given Premier League reality check on Arsenal debut as new £63.5million star fails to even have a shot
VIKTOR GYOKERES was given a reality check on his Arsenal debut as the £63.5million striker failed to have a shot against Manchester United. 4 4 SunSport's Charlie Wyett assesses the situation… NEW SIGNINGS Gyokeres has room for improvement, putting it mildly. His last competitive game in this country was the 2023 Championship play-off final between Coventry and Derby and his Premier League debut will also be a day he will be keen to forget. He worked hard enough and did try and get in behind the United defence but the Swede was given little service in what was a poor performance from the title hopefuls. Gyokeres was decent in the Emirates Cup win over Athletic Bilbao which shows you exactly why we should never take too much from pre-season. Against Manchester United, the striker who is supposed to turn Arsenal into title winners, while admittedly getting very little service, failed to even have a shot. The £63.5million signing didn't contribute much to make up for his lack of threat up top either. For all he ran and tried to assert himself, Gyokores only managed to complete four passes to his new team-mates, while giving the ball away five times. Mikel Arteta is hoping the former Sporting Lisbon man can be the dominant presence that Arsenal have been missing up front. Roy Keane clashes with Micah Richards on Sky Sports but fans distracted by Daniel Sturridge But here the 27-year-old won just three duels against United's unheralded defence, losing ten. Martin Zubimendi also starred in that final game of pre-season but he really struggled here and failed to protect his defence. The arrival from Real Sociedad was given an instant introduction into the speed and physicality of the Premier League when he was caught in the face by Bryan Mbuemo in the opening 30 seconds. The Spaniard threw himself to the ground and tried to win a free-kick, referee Simon Hooper was having none of it Another new arrival, Noni Madueke, failed to make an impact when arriving as a sub but it would not be a surprise if we see him starting games quite soon. 4 SET-PIECES New season, new set-piece routine. Since the start of 2023-24, Arsenal have scored 31 Premier League goals from corners - at least 11 more than any other side. Although Arsenal's first goal of the season was thanks to Altay Bayindir's clanger, Arteta used a different type of routine. We had seen this a few times in pre-season with five players lining up on the edge of the penalty although the goal came from Riccardo Calafiori who was already lurking near the back post and was able to get the final touch. The one thing that might really hurt Arsenal offensively this season is the new clampdown on pushing and shoving in the penalty area, something they do a lot. Although both teams were guilty of grappling with opposing players, Simon Hooper let a few things go - but not all officials will be the same. 4 NEXT UP - LEEDS Arteta will have plenty to ponder before sending his team out to face newly-promoted Leeds at the Emirates on Saturday evening. Although battles against Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle are on the horizon in a nasty opening sequence of fixtures, Arsenal will be expected to deliver a much better performance than what we saw at Old Trafford, where they were incredibly lucky to win. This game will give Gyokeres a terrific chance to score his first goal in the Premier League. Equally, Zubimendi should keep his place although already, Gabriel Martinelli surely knows his place is under threat with Madueke itching to make an impression. Although he scored the winner, Calafiori kept going walkabout at left back leaving Gabriel Magalhaes exposed on the left of central defence. This is why Myles Lewis-Skelly, who will probably have been peed off in not starting this game, might be given a run-out against Daniel Farkes' team.
