The new Premier League season has kicked off and this Sunday will see Arsenal traveling to familiar rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.

This fixture remains one of English football’s classic rivalries, with a rich history and titanic clashes over decades.

This fixture isn’t just any season opener. United, under  Ruben Amorim, aim to leap out of the shadow of a dismal 15th-place finish last season.

Managerial change and hefty summer reinforcements have set the tone for a campaign of redemption

Meanwhile, Arsenal, still stinging from three straight runner-up finishes, are back yet again as title contenders.

Mikel Arteta has underlined the urgency of converting consistency into silverware this time around.

Recent form favours Arsenal away at Old Trafford. Notably, Arsenal have scored in each of their last 11 league visits, and Manchester United have only beaten Arsenal twice at home in the past 18 league meetings.

Arteta is candid about Arsenal’s title hunger: “We are the team that has scored the most points over the last three seasons … but we still need to win a major title”, ESPN quoted him as saying.

Amorim, stepping in midway last season, carries high expectations to reverse United’s fortunes after a troubled campaign.

The Sunday blockbuster sets the tone for both teams. Arsenal head to Old Trafford with momentum, defensive solidity, and fresh attacking options. United, with a imagined frontline and home advantage, hope to catch the visitors cold early.

Expect a tightly contested affair—potentially decided by fine margins and tactical adaptations. Should Gyokeres live up to the hype and Arsenal wield their cohesion, they could edge a statement-opening win.

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Arsenal’s new Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres is primed to make his Premier League debut against Manchester United, with manager Mikel Arteta predicting on Friday that the striker will have a “tremendous impact” this season as the club chases silverware.

Arsenal splashed nearly 200 million pounds ($271.12 million) in a summer spending spree to land six new players including Gyokeres, who was hot property on the transfer market after netting 54 times in all competitions for Sporting last term.

Benjamin Sesko had been on Arsenal’s radar before moving to United and in a twist of transfer fate, the two clubs’ new strikers are set to face off at Old Trafford when the age-old Premier League rivals play each other in a rare season opener.

“I can just talk about Viktor and how happy we are to have him. He is going to have a tremendous impact in the team and his adaptation has been really, really good and we are happy to have him,” Arteta told reporters.

“Many strikers have come from different leagues and been successful. It’s on us, creating the right context for Viktor to do what he does best, which is to score goals.

“He is getting better and better every day. He is normally a really fit player and he has had the small moments in two (pre-season) games with us, so let’s see what he brings on Sunday.”

Arteta said new midfield recruit Martin Zubimendi has also integrated into the team well and is fit for Sunday’s game.

Arsenal have finished the last three seasons as runners-up in the Premier League and the pressure is on Arteta to deliver a league title after reinforcing the squad in key positions.

“If you keep digging, digging and digging, then one day the gold is going to be there. All the time, it is what I have been taught my whole life,” Arteta said.

“For the last three seasons we have more points (combined) than anybody else in the league and that says a lot about our consistency. Now we just have to do it in a season.”

Arsenal great and former skipper Tony Adams suggested Arteta should take the captain’s armband from Martin Odegaard, who had a relatively poor season due to injuries last term, and hand it to Declan Rice.

However, Arteta said the decision to stick with Odegaard as the captain was unanimous.

“My opinion is clear and it’s not just my opinion, it’s all the staff and especially the players. I asked them to vote the captain and I got the result yesterday,” Arteta said.

“By a mile, by a big, big 100 miles, everybody chose the same person – Martin Odegaard – which is the clearest sign that you can have.

“It’s how they feel about who has to be their captain to defend, improve and win the matches that we want to win.”

-Reuters

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Liverpool kicked off the defence of their Premier League title in an entertaining 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on Friday, with manager Arne Slot bowled over by the atmosphere on an emotional Anfield evening as two late goals stole the show.

“Do you have half an hour?” the Dutchman said laughing when asked to sum up a night that started with a tribute to their Portugal forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last month.

Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and substitute Federico Chiesa struck after Antoine Semenyo’s double drew Bournemouth level.

“Unbelievable atmosphere in the final minutes,” Slot said.

“I thought that winning the league here (last season) will always be more special than winning a home game against Bournemouth, but the last six or seven minutes – wow, wow, wow, wow. How impressive that was.

“Three teams involved in a great game. Why three teams? Bournemouth and us playing full gas for 96 minutes, or even longer, 99 I think, and the referee (Anthony Taylor) who just kept the game going, didn’t blow his whistle every single time for every small thing.

“It was a great game to watch. In the end, we won it. So that helps for my emotions.”

However, the overriding emotion on the night, Slot said, was how “impressive and powerful the tribute for Jota was.”

TOUCHING MOMENTS

There were numerous touching moments at Anfield in honour of the Liverpool forward and his brother Andre Silva, who also died in the incident in northern Spain in July.

“They sang for him (Jota) before the game, in the first minute, after 20 minutes, and again at the end. It was so impressive, so powerful,” Slot said.

“His wife is here, his children are here, and for them it might be special to hear how much he’s loved over here.”

Scoring hero Chiesa, whose future at the club has been the subject of speculation, delivered a performance that felt like a gift to the fans who have sung his name since last season.

“He gave them something in return,” Slot said.

The one negative for Liverpool was their defensive frailty, with Semenyo twice capitalising on the Reds’ loose back line.

“Normally, you can complain about our players not sprinting back hard enough, but they did,” Slot said.

“The only thing we need to do better, but that’s in an ideal world, is where do you lose a ball? The best way is not to lose a ball. And if you do … lose it with a shot, or it ends up in a corner kick or a goal kick, but don’t lose it at your own 18-yard line.

“But I always judge, how hard do they sprint back? And in both situations, they sprinted back really hard.”

-Reuters

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