Manchester United followed their pre-season games in Norway and Scotland by jetting off on their commercial tour of the US. With 3 games planned on the tour, it’s a bit of a calmer period than last years pre-season campaign, and we will be seeing United come up against 2 fellow Premier League sides and a Spanish challenge in this tour.

The first game saw United against likely title challengers Arsenal, and although United put out a strong line-up against their league opposites, they couldn’t get the morale boosting win inside 90 minutes, but came away with a technical win from the pre-arranged penalty shootout that followed.

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Teams

Manchester United: Onana, Amass, Maguire (Evans 46′), Yoro (Bennett 35′), Wan-Bissaka (Eriksen 46′), Casemiro (Scanlon 46′), Collyer (Oyedele 46′), Rashford (McTominay 46′), Mount (Antony 46′), Amad (Sancho 46′), Hojlund (Mejbri 16′)

Subs: Vitek, Heaton, Murray, Fish, Fletcher, Wheatley, Mather

Arsenal: Hein, Zinchenko (Gabriel 63′), Timber (Nichols 63′), Heaven (Kiwior 46′), White (Lewis-Skelly 63′), Nwaneri (M’Hand 46′), Jorginho (Partey 63′), Odegaard (Nketiah 71′), Trossard (Viera 63′), Jesus (Martinelli 71′), Nelson (Havertz 71′)

Subs: Rojas, Nygaard, Setford, Rosiak, Rekik, Gower, Sagoe Jr.

Manchester United (4)1-2(3) Arsenal

Arsenal mounted a spirited comeback to edge past Manchester United 2–1 in their pre‑season friendly at SoFi Stadium. United took an early lead through their new No. 9, Rasmus Højlund, who outmuscled youngster Ayden Heaven before slotting beneath Karl Hein in the 10th minute. However, United’s joy was short‑lived as Højlund pulled up moments later and was promptly substituted amid concerns that his summer exertions had taken a toll.

Arsenal regained parity in the 26th minute via a tidy sequence when Leandro Trossard’s clever pass reached Ethan Nwaneri, whose cross found Gabriel Jesus for a calm finish into the net. After the break, Mikel Arteta introduced Gabriel Martinelli off the bench, and the Brazilian looked electric from the outset. With ten minutes remaining he cut inside from the left, evaded James Scanlon, and drilled a low shot through Will Fish’s legs to seal the victory.

The match wasn’t without drama. Manchester United were dealt a double blow in the opening half as both Højlund and recent signing Leny Yoro exited early due to injury worries. Despite the defeat, the Red Devils took solace in a pre‑arranged penalty shootout victory, edging Arsenal 4–3 thanks to a decisive conversion from Jadon Sancho.

Talking Points

Manchester United’s pre-season meeting with Arsenal at SoFi Stadium was overshadowed by a pair of worrying injury concerns. Rasmus Højlund, who had opened the scoring with a composed early finish, lasted just 15 minutes before being forced off holding his leg, raising fresh questions about his durability heading into the new campaign. New signing Leny Yoro also limped off midway through the first half, with the teenage defender’s withdrawal appearing precautionary but still a concern given his recent arrival and expected role in Erik ten Hag’s backline.

Despite the 2–1 defeat, United’s performance against a near full-strength Arsenal side was encouraging. With Kobbie Mainoo impressing in midfield and Amad Diallo showing flashes of energy on the right flank, Ten Hag’s side looked sharp for long stretches and matched Arsenal physically and tactically. Though the Gunners equalised through Gabriel Jesus and later found a winner via Gabriel Martinelli’s late solo effort, United held their own for much of the contest and showed clear signs of growing cohesion in the final third.

The final whistle didn’t mark the end of the night’s action, with the two sides taking part in a pre-arranged penalty shootout, a common feature of this summer’s tour fixtures. United kept their nerve from the spot, winning 4–3 thanks to a calm finish from Jadon Sancho after Martin Ødegaard had seen his effort saved. While the shootout result has no bearing on the season ahead, it offered a psychological boost for United and a positive moment to cap off a spirited performance in front of over 70,000 fans in Los Angeles.