Arsenal (right) face Man United in the opening match of the season - Photo: Reuters
It was certainly an ideal match to open the season, with both teams fired up after a busy transfer window and eager to put the gossip behind them.
Both teams are flawed.
Both typical forces throughout the history of English football, Arsenal and Man United are going through a disappointing period from different perspectives.
For Man United, their downward spiral shows no signs of stopping. Season after season, Man United under Mourinho, Solskjaer, Rangnick, Ten Hag, and Amorim have continuously broken records for... the worst ranking in the team's history. Last season, the "Red Devils" dropped to 15th place in the rankings, while Arsenal ranked second.
Yet Arsenal have been ranked among the "losers" of European football in recent years. Simply because they have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons, as well as not having won any titles in the past five years.
Finishing second in the fiercely competitive Premier League would be considered a success for any big team. But finishing second three times in a row is another story. Mikel Arteta and his team have received a lot of criticism for their ability to win the title. Arsenal are not afraid of any big team in a 90-minute match, but in the long run, they always lose form at the crucial moment.
Arsenal's stability and solid structure are what United lack, and conversely, United's trophies are what Arsenal desperately need. Despite playing extremely poorly in the past 3 years, United owns 1 FA Cup and 1 League Cup. If they win a title, Arteta's young players will have more confidence. And conversely, United desperately need Arsenal's stability to revive a team on the brink of the abyss.
Can Man United coach Amorim make a surprise in the classic match against Arsenal? - Photo: REUTERS
The changes
The shortcomings of both have caused Man United and Arsenal to rush into the transfer market this summer, with twice the intensity compared to previous seasons.
Despite having suffered hundreds of millions of euros in losses from missing out on Champions League qualification for two consecutive years, Man United still splashed out on three transfer "blockbusters" this summer, including Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko. All cost more than 70 million euros each. Moreover, the "Red Devils" are still cherishing the prospect of bringing in another star midfielder in the final week of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal are not to be outdone with three new signings, of which Gyokeres and Zubimendi are real stars. After two months of transfers, both the Gunners and the Red Devils are leading the Premier League in terms of actual spending on the transfer market.
Not only shopping, both teams are carrying out revolutions in tactics and forces. With Man United, they are buying names that fit the 3-4-3 tactics of coach Ruben Amorim, a truly strange formation in the football world. The team at Old Trafford faces a huge risk in this revolution, that is, if Amorim fails, his successors will have to "destroy and rebuild" the squad again.
Man United have been struggling with the remnants from the Ten Hag era including Hojlund, Antony, Mount, Onana... that could not be sold after the Dutch strategist left. Now, they are taking a gamble with Amorim.
The story of Arsenal is the opposite. Mikel Arteta has remained firmly in the head coach's chair at Emirates Stadium for more than 5 years, but the Spanish strategist himself has had to change to chase results.
Like many former Barca legends (Arteta joined La Masia at the age of 15), the Arsenal manager has a preference for not using a true centre-forward in the No. 9 position. But three consecutive runners-up finishes forced him to change his style by bringing in a classic centre-forward in Gyokeres.
Will those changes really bring success? Time will tell. Tonight, Arsenal and Man United will enter a classic match of English football, thereby testing their own ambitions. Arteta does not have much time left at the Emirates, having lost 5 consecutive seasons. And Man United are even worse, needing to revive this season or never.
Arsenal promises to introduce two expensive new players, Zubimendi and Gyokeres, while Man United is also likely to field the trio Mbeumo - Cunha - Sesko from the start.
The "Red Devils" are at a disadvantage in terms of force when missing two quality defenders, Lisandro Martinez and Mazraoui, while Arsenal only lacks Gabriel Jesus who is no longer important to the team.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/man-united-dau-arsenal-dai-chien-mo-man-mua-giai-20250817075922142.htm
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