Amorim’s United vs Arteta’s Arsenal: rebuilding Red Devils face Premier League favourites
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
A blockbuster clash between two teams with different ambitions for the season
Ruben Amorim's Manchester United are set to face Arsenal in the 2025-26 English Premier League opener this Sunday. The Manchester-based side enters the new season with renewed ambitions after experiencing a dismal run in the previous campaign, and the goal this time is to cement their status as a giant in English football.
For Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, they head into this clash as the favorites to start on a winning note. They harbor different ambitions than Manchester United and are out to clinch the league crown for the first time since the 2003-04 season. This is a team that has come up short in the last three seasons, finishing as runners-up. Can the Premier League favorites finally lift the long-awaited trophy, or will they fall short once again against the likes of defending champions Liverpool or Manchester City?
Ruben Amorim is out to revive the sleeping giant
It cannot be denied that Manchester United has not been the same since Sir Alex Ferguson decided to throw in the towel as head coach after managing the club for 26+ years. Under his management, they collected a staggering 38 trophies, including two UEFA Champions Leagues. The managers who came after the Sir Alex Ferguson era were either impressive or bad, but failed to match the expectations of the respected and well-known figure.
Ruben Amorim, appointed in November 2024 from Sporting CP, is the name expected to exceed those expectations and restore Manchester United's dominance. However, it's still a work in progress, with his first season in charge of the Red Devils not living up to expectations.
Last season, he guided the team to a 15th-place finish. This was one of Manchester United's worst finishes to date since the 1973-74 season. No trophies were collected in that season, after finishing as runners-up in the UEFA Europa League.
This season, as part of his rebuilding strategy, Amorim has brought seven players to Old Trafford. Three big-name signings include the likes of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), and Matheus Cunha (Wolves).
Unfortunately, Marcus Rashford isn't part of Amorim's plans this season, with the 27-year-old forward loaned out to Barcelona. Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen have been released, while Jonny Evans retired from football.
Arsenal has emerged from the shadows to become a title challenger
Mikel Arteta's appointment as Arsenal head coach in 2019 and his early years were not ones to be proud of. There was a time when the team was in 15th place (a temporary mid-season position), which was marked down on paper as one of their worst starts to the English Premier League since 1974-75. However, they did manage to recover and finish higher during that season.
Despite that, the cries for his dismissal were too loud to ignore, and it seemed as if his time at the Emirates Stadium would be short-lived. The board decided to ignore all those cries and instead decided to give the 43-year-old the benefit of the doubt. Judging by the current state of Arsenal, that risk paid off.
The first signs of progress were evident in the 2021-22 season, where they finished in fifth place to compensate for their eighth-place finish in the previous season—their worst English Premier League position in 25 years.
Since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, Arteta has turned a team that had no dreams into a side with belief and identity. He has guided them to three consecutive second-place finishes, making them perennial title challengers.
This summer, there has been a noticeable squad overhaul. Six players have left the Emirates Stadium, including Thomas Partey, Nuno Tavares, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Marquinhos, Kieran Tierney, and Jorginho.
Not to worry, Mikel Arteta has also been very active in the summer transfer window, signing the same number of players that departed. The new additions include Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Kepa (Chelsea), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Cristhian Mosquera (Valencia), and Christian Nørgaard (Brentford).
