Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has defended goalkeeper Altay Bayindir following the team's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in their Premier League opener. Bayindir's costly error allowed Riccardo Calafiori to score the game's only goal in the 13th minute. Despite the defeat, Amorim insisted that his team was the better side and showed they can compete with any team in the Premier League.
Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Calafiori's header proving the difference. The goal came after Bayindir flapped at a corner from Declan Rice under pressure from William Saliba, sending the ball towards the back post for Calafiori to nod in. Despite protests from United that Bayindir was impeded, the on-field decision stood.
Amorim defended Bayindir, suggesting that Saliba had blocked him. He stated that when a goalkeeper is touched in that way, they need to be able to use their hands to catch the ball, not push players. Amorim said that Bayindir chose to get the ball, but he was being pushed, so he could not defend himself. He also said that if it's allowed per the rules, then they need to do the same thing.
The Manchester United manager also dismissed suggestions that he considered starting Tom Heaton ahead of Bayindir, despite a similar error from the Turkish goalkeeper in a previous Carabao Cup match against Tottenham. Amorim highlighted Bayindir's performance in the FA Cup third-round win over Arsenal in January, where he saved a penalty. He also clarified that Andre Onana was not dropped but was recovering from a hamstring problem and had not trained enough. Amorim said that during the pre-season, Tom and Altay did a very good job.
Amorim emphasized that United can win any game in the Premier League and that he is happy with his three goalkeepers. He said the team needs to focus and forget about the noise, and it doesn't matter who is playing, they want to win games. He stated that they proved they were the better team, especially against a great team like Arsenal.
Despite the loss, Amorim praised his team's performance, noting they were more aggressive, sprinted more, and were braver compared to last season. He highlighted the quality of new players like Cunha and Mbeumo, who revitalized their attack. Amorim felt the team deserved a better result and was particularly pleased that "we were not boring". He said that they were more brave and went 1v1 all game and that with the ball, they had quality.
Manchester United's new signings, including Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, showed promise in the attack, but the team couldn't find a way past Arsenal's goalkeeper, David Raya, despite registering 22 shots on goal. Arsenal relied on their defense and Raya to secure the win, although they didn't fully get going as an attacking force.
