The Cannon Fires: Calafiori Opens Arsenal's 100th Top-Flight Season with Old Trafford Smash-and-Grab
They said it couldn't be done. They said Arsenal can't win ugly. They said Old Trafford is a graveyard for Gunners' ambitions. Well, tell that to Riccardo Calafiori, who planted his forehead into Declan Rice's devilish corner and sending Arsenal home with three points—and Manchester United back to their usual existential crisis.
A Goal So Close, Even Bayindir Could Smell It
Let's be honest: you don't need a YouTube compilation to appreciate this one. Rice swung in the sort of inswinger that goalkeepers have nightmares about. United's new No.2, Altay Bayindir, decided to flap like a pigeon on Market Street, and Calafiori did the rest—heading home from a range so intimate he probably got a whiff of the netting.
That makes it 15 set-piece goals in the last two seasons for Arsenal. Not bad for a side that was once mocked for being more fragile than a wine glass in a dishwasher.
United Threaten, Arsenal Dig In
Credit where it's due: United didn't roll over. Patrick Dorgu hit the post, Matheus Cunha tried to turn into peak Ronaldo, and Bryan Mbeumo had a header clawed out by David Raya—who clearly didn't read the script about shaky Arsenal keepers.
But for all their huffing and puffing, United couldn't blow down William Saliba. The French wall stood tall, producing a last-ditch tackle on Cunha in injury time that will be replayed in north London pubs all week.
Arteta's Pragmatic Grit
Mikel Arteta knows this wasn't a champagne performance. His post-match analysis was basically: "We didn't play that well, but we still won. That's the point, isn't it?" And he's right. For once, Arsenal looked like the seasoned street fighters rather than the naïve artists.
Viktor Gyökeres, making his Premier League bow, didn't get much service—though perhaps he did ruffle a few feathers. Noni Madueke had his cameo, and Kai Havertz came on to do, well, Kai Havertz things. But the real story was Arsenal's ability to absorb pressure and still leave with the spoils.
Calafiori's Aura
Arteta waxed lyrical about Calafiori afterwards, calling him a player who "changes the energy in the room." That's a polite way of saying: "He's got more presence than most of United's back four combined."
100 Years, 1 Win, No Problem
This wasn't just any victory—it was the perfect start to Arsenal's 100th consecutive season in the top flight. A century of consistency marked not by champagne football, but by a gritty 1-0 win in Manchester. If you want to win titles, those are the days that matter more than the 5-0 strolls at home.
What's Next
Leeds at home next weekend, then Anfield. A soft pillow followed by a barbed-wire mattress. But if Arsenal can grind out results like this, they may finally have the resilience to go the distance.
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