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Had Benjamin Sesko joined Arsenal and Viktor Gyokeres moved to Manchester United this summer, the story would hardly have raised eyebrows. Instead, Sesko now wears the United badge while Gyokeres prepares to test himself against his former coach Amorim.
The Portuguese manager has said that Sesko is both physically and mentally ready to feature in the Premier League, with the possibility of starting in a revamped front line alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. That setup, however, could push Bruno Fernandes into a deeper position. Joshua Zirkzee and Andre Onana are expected to be available after overcoming knocks despite speculation linking them with exits, the same applying to Fulham target Rasmus Hojlund. In contrast, Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez miss out through hamstring and knee issues respectively.
A head-to-head between Sesko and Gyokeres looks likely from the first whistle, with the Arsenal striker pushing strongly for a starting role after his forceful display against Athletic Bilbao. Yet Kai Havertz’s superb goal off the bench leaves Mikel Arteta with a tactical dilemma. Should Gyokeres score at Old Trafford, he would become only the third man to find the net on his Premier League debut there, joining Mo Johnston in 1992 and Paulo Wanchope in 1997. Arteta is also hopeful that Leandro Trossard will recover from a groin problem, with long-term absentee Gabriel Jesus the only certain miss.
While one coach was dismissed after delivering the Europa League title and a 17th-placed finish, Ruben Amorim remains in charge despite losing that same final and ending 15th. His focus now is on launching his first full season at Old Trafford, aided by the absence of European football which may prove useful on the domestic front. Bruno Fernandes rejected an offer from Saudi Arabia to stay, and with a reshaped attack United showed signs of improvement in pre-season. They went unbeaten in five friendlies and lifted the Premier League Summer Series trophy. Even so, draws with Leeds, Everton and Fiorentina reduced the impact of wins against West Ham and Bournemouth. Those back-to-back victories were noteworthy, since United failed to achieve successive league wins throughout last season.
Arsenal concluded their summer by sweeping aside Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to claim the Emirates Cup, a statement performance following defeats to Tottenham and Villarreal. Goals from Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka and Havertz highlighted the attacking potential at Arteta’s disposal, while Martin Zubimendi registered his first assist for the club. A penalty-shootout triumph added to the sense of momentum as the Gunners aim for another title bid. Having finished second in each of the last three years, they now enter a campaign in which Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea have also spent heavily, setting the stage for a competitive four-way race.
Despite the investment United have made in attack, it may take time for Amorim’s signings to build cohesion. By contrast, Arsenal’s new recruits Zubimendi and Gyokeres already appear well-integrated, as shown in the Emirates Cup. Considering all of this, we predict Arsenal will get a 2-1 win over Manchester United.
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