Man Utd's best and worst players in pre-season win over Arsenal
- Man Utd beat Arsenal in impressive pre-season result
- Numerous senior stars returned to action
- One high profile midfielder struggled to assert himself
Manchester United can be very pleased with their 2-0 win over a virtually full strength Arsenal at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, also going on to win the rather pointless penalty shootout.
Arguably only Gabriel Jesus was missing from Arsenal’s best XI when the game began, with £105m signing Declan Rice in from the start for Mikel Arteta’s side. Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz also started the match, taking the total of their summer investment on the pitch north of £200m.
For Erik ten Hag’s United, it was a first outing of the summer for a number of senior players – including Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Luke Shaw and new captain Bruno Fernandes – following the primarily young teams that had beaten both Leeds and Lyon before.
Andre Onana is still come into the side too, with the goalkeeper having only completed his move from Inter on Thursday and not linking up with the squad in the United States until Friday.
Fernandes and Jadon Sancho, the latter spending much of the summer so far operating as a false nine without a better option currently available to Ten Hag, each scored in the first half.
Amid the rafts of changes for both sides – Arteta actually kept his first half XI mostly intact until well into the second half – United kept hold of that lead.
Given that Arsenal led the Premier League table for most of last season, despite not actually going on to claim the title, it was a statement result – albeit in pre-season – for those dressed in red.
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Man Utd's best player vs Arsenal
Bruno Fernandes
His first game as official club captain needed a statement performance and it got one. Fernandes is now permanent United skipper following the decision to take the armband off Harry Maguire, who is still lacking confidence and was even snubbed for the captaincy when the new skipper went off.
A creative force with the United ranks and made a chance for Antony before he netted a fine goal of his own to put his team ahead in the first half. Substituted at half-time with the rest of the outfielders.
Honourable mention
Kobbie Mainoo
The 18-year-old midfielder is fast becoming a favourite. Mainoo first featured for the senior team last season, but he has taken his opportunity with both hands and was among only four of the emerging youngsters - excluding the already established Alejandro Garnacho - to survive the return of the remaining senior names when others involved earlier in the summer stayed on the bench.
Mainoo plays with a maturity beyond his years and wasn't fazed in the slightest by the much bigger occasion against the toughest and best opposiiton United have faced on tour.
Man Utd's worst player vs Arsenal
Christian Eriksen
Nobody in a United shirt was obviously bad, but Eriksen perhaps had the most to lose from this one because of the direct comparison between him and £60m signing Mason Mount. The pair are likely competing for just one position in a midfield trio where Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro seem pretty locked down and it was Mount who won this particular battle. The plus side for Eriksen is that this was his first game back, whereas Mount already had two other outings under his belt prior to kick-off.
Dishonourable mention
Facundo Pellistri
It was an opportunity for the Uruguayan to stake his claim for a first-team place this season with more than half an hour on the pitch to impress. Sadly, he failed to really take it beyond isolated moments of liveliness
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