Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim struck a defiant and overwhelmingly positive tone following his side’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in their Premier League opener, praising the “brave” performance of his players despite the disappointing result.
“I’m really proud of the guys,” Amorim told Sky Sports immediately after the match. “I think we are the better team. We deserved a different result and we need to move forward to the next one.”
The manager was particularly pleased with the significant change in mentality and aggression compared to last season. “We were more aggressive than last year,” he explained. “We went one against one all the game and we pressed high… Even when the stadium made some sounds, we continued to play the way we play. That will help us in the future.”
When asked about the controversial winning goal, which came from a set-piece where his goalkeeper appeared to be impeded, Amorim was diplomatic but firm. “We need to be stronger. We are not changing the rules, we have to adapt to the rules,” he said, while also defending his goalkeeper, Altay Bayındır, and dismissing any suggestion that Tom Heaton should have started instead.
He also clarified the situation surrounding André Onana, stating he was not dropped but simply not ready after just one week of training. “He is going to fight with the other guys,” the manager confirmed.
Amorim reserved special praise for his new attacking signings, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. “In certain moments I think Bryan and Cunha helped a lot,” he noted, highlighting their role in the team’s aggressive new approach. He also briefly addressed the high-profile omission of Rasmus Højlund from the squad, stating simply, “It is our player – we have to make choices. We have players that have to stay helping the team from the outside.”
The manager’s overriding message was one of pride and optimism. Despite the painful result, he saw clear signs of progress and a team that is buying into his philosophy. “We prove today that we can win any game in the Premier League,” he concluded.