Three things we learned when Manchester United lost 1-2 to Arsenal in pre-season

Manchester United faced Arsenal in Los Angeles in their third pre-season game, following games against Rosenborg and Glasgow Rangers.

With the Gunners finishing second in the Premier League last year, this promised to be a real step up in quality for United.

The Red Devils started with Andre Onana in goal and a back four made up of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, new signing Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Harry Amass.

The midfield was formed by Toby Collyer, Casemiro and Mason Mount and the attacking trio Marcus Rashford, Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo.

The second half saw 10 changes in the outfield, as has been the case throughout pre-season so far for United.

Here are three things we learned from the meeting.

The Curse of Injury Strikes Again

United’s new number nine Rasmus Hojlund started brightly and opened the scoring within the first ten minutes.

A wonderful ball over the top from Rashford was expertly saved and he then beat the Arsenal defence at speed before calmly slotting the ball between the keeper’s legs.

A stumbling block came when a sadly familiar sign from last season reared its ugly head once again, as Hojlund was seen on the pitch complaining of an injury.

The Dane appeared to be suffering from a possible hamstring problem, but the severity of the injury is not yet known and United fans will be hoping the change was just a precautionary measure.

Disaster struck for the second time when Leny Yoro walked out visibly distressed during the drinks break.

United cannot afford to have a similar injury hell to last season, and the signs so far are not promising. Yoro in particular will be keen not to miss too much time as he tries to fit into a new team.

Youth steps forward once again

United academy players Toby Collyer and Harry Amass continued to build their first-team experience and played their third consecutive pre-season game.

Unlike the first two meetings, both had games from the start and lined up alongside the most experienced professionals.

Collyer has had a great summer as he has signed a new contract and has been linked with a first-team role next season.

The 20-year-old did not look out of place in the midfield battle with the likes of Martin Odegaard and Jorginho.

He cleverly stole the ball from Arsenal’s attack on a couple of occasions and caught the eye with a solo run into the box, where he nearly got a shot off.

Left-back Amass was also a standout performer in the first half, where he linked up well with Marcus Rashford on the left flank and his performance was full of energy and commitment.

Andre Onana continues to grow in stature

The United goalkeeper had the definition of an up-and-down season last year, where he had some incredibly low moments but huge highs in his debut campaign.

The Cameroonian was confident throughout the game and played his role as sweeper-keeper masterfully, coming out to clear the ball away from danger on several occasions.

The 28-year-old also made some clever acrobatic saves to deny Mikel Arteta’s side, wearing the captain’s armband in the second half. Perhaps he could have got down a little quicker to stop Gabriel Martinelli’s late strike, but overall it didn’t factor into a good overall display.

Many United fans will be hoping he can play a style of play more similar to the one that made his name at Ajax and became one of the most respected goalkeepers in the world following his time at Inter Milan.

A back four of Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Yoro should help him flourish with a high line, and his comfort on the ball should also see him dictate play from the back, something he failed to do last season.

Want to be the first to hear the latest Man United news? For crucial, handpicked updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.