Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge feels that, following Manchester United’s 1-0 loss against Arsenal, two of Rúben Amorim’s men are going to have a huge impact at Old Trafford.
Manchester United suffered defeat to Arsenal on the opening weekend of the Premier League, though Rúben Amorim’s men could take encouragement from their performance.
Bryan Mbeumo was lively in the early stages, but it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock as Riccardo Calafiori rose to head in Declan Rice’s corner.
United kept searching for a response, with both Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha forcing David Raya into action, but the score remained in Arsenal’s favour at half-time.
After the break, Amorim turned to his bench, introducing Amad for Diogo Dalot before later bringing on Benjamin Šeško and Manuel Ugarte to shift the rhythm of the game.
Despite relentless pressure and Cunha being fouled in the box by William Saliba, Arsenal stood firm to take all three points on the road.
Sturridge optimistic for United this summer
On Sky Sports, their usual leading pundits had a crack at predicting the Premier League season. While former United midfielder Roy Keane and former Manchester City defender Micah Richards left United out of the top five, ex-Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has Amorim’s side in 5th.
Elaborating on his choice, Sturridge explained that he feels a big reason for his pick is the new signings of Mbeumo and Cunha, who are going to score goals at Old Trafford.
“These players are going to score goals for Manchester United, there is no doubt about it,” he said on Sky Sports.
“Mbeumo and Cunha are too good not to score goals. With [Benjamin] Sesko, we have not seen much of him in the Premier League, and we don’t know how the cohesion is going to work with the other two.
“But with regards to Mbeumo and Cunha, we have seen what they have done in the past in the league and then what they did today. It’s going to be a long season, but I am optimistic.”
United still need signings to secure top five
While the display against Arsenal was positive, with those such as Luke Shaw and Casemiro putting in surprisingly good displays compared to worries ahead of kick-off.
However, it is clear that if Amorim wants his side to remain consistent in the Premier League and compete for the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, he must secure a new midfield and possibly a new goalkeeper before the season ends.
Casemiro cannot be trusted to perform well in every game, given his evident athletic decline, and Manuel Ugarte has serious critics. Kobbie Mainoo is a fantastic talent, but has yet to break into the starting XI.
As for a new goalkeeper, concerns surround the current options, André Onana and Altay Bayındır. Onana’s poor campaign last season has left a lack of trust surrounding him, while Bayındır’s error for Arsenal’s goal the previous weekend left much to be desired.
A new shot-stopper that fills the side with more confidence and an athletic midfielder who can cover ground and be more composed on the ball would complete Amorim’s starting XI, giving the side a much better shot at consistent performances and results.
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