In the 13th minute at Old Trafford, defender Riccardo Calafiori headed in from a corner that Bayindir failed to punch clear right in front of the goal. VAR quickly confirmed the goal for Arsenal, despite the Turkish goalkeeper complaining to referee Simon Hooper that he was impeded by William Saliba. It was also the only goal of the match.

"The goalkeeper must control his area," Keane angrily said on Sky Sports. "That's the goalkeeper's territory. He has to be decisive and show strength. Bayindir usually does well, but in this situation, he was too hesitant. The Man Utd players were soft and weak. How can they cope with Arsenal's power?"

Bayindir (number 1) made a mistake punching the ball which led to Man Utd's goal against Arsenal at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK, Premier League round 1 on 17/8/2025. *Photo: AP*

The goalkeeper issue has once again become a hot topic at Old Trafford, even though Andre Onana wasn't registered for this match due to injury. Former defender Micah Richards agreed with Keane's comments. "Arsenal continuously sent the ball to the far post, but Man Utd had no one handling it well," Richards said. "Matthijs de Ligt or Mason Mount should have been marking, and Bayindir wasn't strong enough to command the 6-yard box. That's Man Utd's Achilles' heel."

According to British media, Man Utd still wants to add new players before the transfer window closes on 1/9. Their biggest target is Gianluigi Donnarumma, but the Italian goalkeeper seems to have chosen Man City. In addition, the "Red Devils" are also targeting Emiliano Martinez, a goalkeeper highly regarded for his ability to command the penalty area.

Bayindir, 27, is only a reserve goalkeeper for the Turkish national team. This is his third season playing for Man Utd. But in the previous two seasons, the 1.98m-tall goalkeeper has only played a total of four Premier League matches. Even when Onana often made mistakes, Bayindir wasn't trusted.

Despite losing their opening match, Man Utd are still predicted by former captain Wayne Rooney to finish in the Premier League's top 4 this season. New players like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha impressed in the match against Arsenal, despite the team's defeat. Meanwhile, striker Benjamin Sesko didn't have much of an impact, playing only the last 30 minutes.

Hoang An (*TBR Football*)