Premier League: Arsenal edge Manchester United 1-0 in season opener; Chelsea frustrated by Crystal Palace

Arsenal kicked off their Premier League campaign with a statement win, grinding out a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. In a clash billed as the marquee fixture of the opening round, Riccardo Calafiori’s early goal proved decisive as Mikel Arteta’s men displayed resilience at the back and efficiency from set pieces — a hallmark of their rise in recent seasons.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Declan Rice’s corner caused chaos inside United’s box. Back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, preferred over first-choice Andre Onana, failed to collect cleanly, allowing Calafiori to nod home from close range. It was yet another reminder of Arsenal’s lethal edge from dead-ball situations, with Arteta’s side making a habit of punishing defensive lapses.

For United, the script felt painfully familiar. After a miserable 15th-place finish last season, optimism had returned under Ruben Amorim, bolstered by nearly £200 million spent revamping their attack. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were given starting debuts, while highly rated Benjamin Sesko came off the bench in the second half. Despite flashes of energy, United lacked the cutting edge to breach Arsenal’s disciplined rearguard.

Arsenal themselves had a quiet evening in open play. New striker Viktor Gyökeres struggled on his competitive debut, but with their backline marshaled superbly, the Gunners followed likely title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in securing three points on opening weekend.

Elsewhere, Chelsea endured frustration in their first match as reigning Club World Cup champions, held to a goalless draw at home by Crystal Palace.

Eberechi Eze, linked with a move to Tottenham, nearly gave Palace a dream lead with a stunning free kick, only for VAR to disallow it due to an infringement in the wall. The Blues, still short on sharpness after a shortened preseason, created little of note as Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer were subdued.At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest got off to a flying start with a 3-1 win over Brentford. Chris Wood picked up where he left off last season, netting twice before halftime, while new signing Dan Ndoye scored on debut. Brentford pulled one back late through Igor Thiago’s penalty, but the damage was already done.Sunday’s matches were preceded by a poignant moment of silence across stadiums in memory of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, the brothers tragically killed in a car accident in Spain last month.