Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo made a mark on his competitive debut for the club, despite he and his teammates slipping to a 1-0 loss at the hands of Arsenal.
United narrowly beaten by Arsenal
United welcomed Arsenal to Old Trafford for their 2025/26 Premier League opener. The team started well, dominating possession and pushing Arsenal back.
However, it was the visitors who took the lead, against the run of play. Declan Rice’s corner kick was nodded in by Riccardo Calafiori after some pitiful goalkeeping from Altay Bayindir, who could not get a strong hand to the ball.
There’s an argument to be made that Bayindir was impeded by William Saliba but he should have still done much better in that situation.
As opposed to last season, when United would have gone flat after falling behind, they looked galvanised this time and didn’t let their heads drop. The Red Devils were clearly the better side, as evidenced by them enjoying the lion’s share of possession and fashioning the better chances.
The likes of Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Patrick Dorgu all had chances to put the ball into the back of the net but they couldn’t quite find the finishing touch.
While United didn’t get any points, there are plenty of positives to take from the game, with Mbeumo being one of them.
Mbeumo’s performance
Mbeumo started as the right-sided number 10, in an attacking trio also consisting of Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount.
The former Brentford man was a problem for Arsenal all game. He especially caught they eye with his fantastic touches, energetic display and just how seamlessly he combined with his new teammates, including Cunha, Diogo Dalot and Amad.
During the time he was on the pitch, Mbeumo fired three shots. Two of these were on target while one did not require David Raya to swing into action.
Mbeumo embarked on one dribble, which he completed. He made 20 sprints, clocking a top speed of 30.9km/h.
The Cameroonian touched the ball 52 times and managed to find his teammates with 23 of the 29 passes he attempted (79% pass accuracy). One of his passes was a key pass.
The forward delivered five crosses, connecting on one occasion. He found his target with the one long ball he pinged.
Mbeumo was good defensively. He won four of the seven ground duels he delved into but lost two of the aerial contests he vied for. He drew three fouls and made one clearance.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
It was an encouraging first competitive outing for Mbeumo, who will undoubtedly be central to United’s ambitions this term.
Featured image Stu Forster via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
