Five things we learned when Manchester United lost 2-1 to Arsenal

The Manchester United striker’s absence was felt and Arsenal then bounced back to win 2-1 in LA. Hojlund was joined in an early bath by Leny Yoro, who also suffered an injury.

Despite this, there were plenty of positives to take from the game, with some beautiful football played early on.

Here are the five things I learned from the game.

Toby Collyer is a diamond in the making

If there is one player who stood out in this match, it was new midfield master Toby Collyer, who added yet another impressive performance to his growing catalogue.

Erik ten Hag saw the talent Collyer had and we should all have faith in him as it’s already hard to imagine a scenario where Collyer doesn’t feature week in week out for United this season.

He dominated Martin Odegaard and looked one of the most composed players on the pitch. An outstanding performance, we’re sure he’ll start again against Real Betis.

Mason Mount takes the chance and it will benefit Bruno Fernandes

Before a ball was kicked this summer, I wrote that pre-season would be pivotal for Mason Mount and he clearly felt the same way as he has been very impressive so far.

Against Arsenal he was probably at his best and should have had an assist, Amad Diallo failed to convert a chance. Mount looked very quick and sharp in the match which bodes well for the season ahead.

For Bruno Fernandes, this will be excellent news as it means there is finally someone to share the minutes with the club captain.

Squad depth remains an issue for United

Although everyone knew deep down that the team was still very weak, the last few weeks have pulled the wool over our eyes. But that’s no longer the case, with the team below the starting XI not up to snuff.

In particular, the senior second-string players are not at the level required to challenge the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.

When Yoro left, there wasn’t a single option close to his profile or quality. This only highlights that Ineos has a lot of work to do this past summer.

Harry Amass is part of the first team

Another success story from the game was Harry Amass at left-back, with the 17-year-old looking like he’s been there.

On the ball, Amass is so good to watch with his dribbles and runs to avoid pressure too good for his senior opponents to handle.

He was unlucky to see Gabriel Jesus on, given the Brazilian was more than likely offside, but overall he had a great game and we imagine his role in the first team this season is secure.

Clear improvements in structure compared to last season

Last season the way the team was set up was ridiculous and it almost always ended horribly for United.

But against Arsenal, there were clear changes that are improvements in the structure of the team with and without the ball.

The middle is no longer empty with a disciplined pair there and then on the ball, the defensive line is very big which reduces the chance of goals we saw last season.

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