Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim believed his team played better but ultimately lost, he told BBC Sport. "We played more offensively than last season, putting high pressure on the opponent. I'm proud of the players, but there are still many issues to improve."

When asked about the only goal conceded in the 13th minute, where goalkeeper Altay Bayindir missed Declan Rice's corner kick, the Portuguese manager said, "When the goalkeeper is touched, even pushed, by an opponent, they don't have much chance of catching the ball. But we cannot change the rules, we have to adapt."

The moment Arsenal scored the only goal against Man Utd at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK, in the 4th round of the Premier League on 17/8/2025. Photo: *Reuters*

Amorim even implied that Bayindir was pushed by center-back William Saliba right on the goal line. This caused the Turkish goalkeeper to miss the ball, allowing defender Ricardo Calafiori to head it into the empty net. This was also the only goal in the key Premier League match.

Before this season, the English media reported that referees would be stricter on holding and grappling in the penalty area. This is why Fernandes was unhappy that both referee Simon Hooper and VAR Paul Tierney allowed the goal. They may have considered Saliba's impact on Bayindir insufficient to disallow the goal.

Both Amorim and Fernandes commented that the home team played better and lost due to a small detail. However, the statistics don't support their view. The Portuguese manager has a win rate of 37.2%, the lowest for Man Utd in over half a century. If he cannot secure a victory against Fulham in the next round, his win rate will drop to the lowest ever.

Amorim has also suffered 15 defeats in just 28 Premier League matches managing Man Utd, alongside 7 wins and 6 draws. Excluding newly promoted teams, Amorim is the fastest manager to reach 15 losses in the league since Paul Hart with Portsmouth in 2009, after 27 matches.

Compiled by Hoang An