Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in their 2025/26 Premier League opener. Here are our player ratings from the game.
(A score of 6 is around average)
Altay Bayindir 3 – Not strong enough for Arsenal’s goal. It can be argued that he was fouled by William Saliba but still needed to do much better in that situation. Otherwise, some decent saves and distribution was also good.
Leny Yoro 6.5 – Astute performance. Defended well and neutralised Viktor Gyokres.
Matthijs de Ligt 7 – Led the three-man defence brilliantly and didn’t put a foot wrong. Constantly stepped out of the backline to great effect and also helped keep Gyokeres silent. Solid performance.
Luke Shaw 7 – Very aggressive in his actions.
Diogo Dalot 6 – Provided the overlap for Mbeumo and looked to deliver crosses inside the box.
Casemiro 4 – Mostly had a quiet game but slowly grew into it as United got a foothold in proceedings. Struggled at times to keep up with the pace of Arsenal’s midfielders.
Bruno Fernandes 5 – Some reckless moments on the ball in deeper positions. Another one who got better and better as the game progressed.
Patrick Dorgu 6.5 – Came very close to netting the equaliser but he was denied by the post. Bombed up the pitch at every opportunity and added some dynamism to United’s attack. Provided width and put in a good cross for Mbeumo that almost resulted in a goal for United.
Mason Mount 7 – Influential from the jump. Relentlessly covered the pitch, pressed well and worked hard. Produced one or two sensational switches of play to find his teammates in acres of space to run into. Didn’t shy away from getting into the box. A good outing for the Englishman.
Bryan Mbeumo 8 – Outstanding debut. So many positives. Superb first touch, incredible deliveries and combined well with Dalot, Amad and Cunha. He was a constant pain for Riccardo Calafiori and almost got on the score sheet but he couldn’t quite direct his header into the back of the net.
Matheus Cunha 8.5 – He started slowly, but once he settled into the game, there was no stopping him. Fantastic ball-carrying on multiple occasions, which at times saw him shrug off three or four Arsenal players. Played with an intensity that has been lacking at United for years. Linked up nicely with Dorgu, Mbeumo and Fernandes and also nearly scored.
Substitutes
Amad 7 – Made a difference when he came on. Dangerous and caused havoc down the right side. Should be starting the next game.
Manuel Ugarte 4 – Offered very little when he came on.
Benjamin Sesko 6 – Showed some very promising flashes of his quality. Held up the ball well and looked clean with his touches.
Harry Maguire 6 – Picked up where Shaw left off.
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!
