Manchester United’s opening US tour game against Premier League rivals Arsenal in Los Angeles saw striker Rasmus Hojlund and £52m newcomer Leny Yoro both suffer first-half injuries.
Hojlund opened the scoring in the 10th minute by sprinting onto Marcus Rashford’s quick pass Xoilactv, overpowering young defender Ayden Heaven, and slotting the ball through Karl Hein’s legs.
The Dane then missed a close-range chance from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s low cross before appearing to suffer a muscle injury after 15 minutes, forcing him to leave the game.
Yoro’s departure was just as unremarkable. The 18-year-old, who joined United from Lille only 10 days ago, went down and required extended treatment before also having to exit the game.
Considering the numerous injuries that plagued manager Erik ten Hag’s squad last season, losing two senior players in this manner, just three weeks before United’s Premier League opener against Fulham at Old Trafford on August 16, is far from ideal.
Despite the promising start, the result was also unsatisfactory for the Dutch manager.
Gabriel Jesus equalized with a close-range finish after 25 minutes, and substitute Gabriel Martinelli then cut inside 17-year-old rookie full-back James Scanlon to deliver the decisive goal.
United triumphed in the pre-arranged penalty shoot-out that followed, with Jadon Sancho scoring the decisive spot-kick to secure a 4-3 victory.
Injury Troubles for Ten Hag
Ten Hag highlighted the demands on players this season during his pre-match news conference, describing the campaign as a ‘survival of the fittest’ and acknowledging that injuries are inevitable.
The reality likely surpassed his worst fears as both Hojlund and Yoro went down without any external contact.
Hojlund seemed to clutch his groin before heading directly down the tunnel at the corner of the stadium. Yoro, after receiving extended treatment, took a longer route off the field, walking exceptionally slowly and appearing to be in significant discomfort.
This was far from ideal for United, who have been promoting new sports science appointments as part of their overall restructuring.
Victor Lindelof was sidelined with a minor injury, so 20-year-old Rhys Bennett, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Stockport, stepped in as Harry Maguire’s defensive partner.
While injuries were the downside, the positive takeaway for Ten Hag was the performance of midfielder Mason Mount.
The former Chelsea player, who often spent as much time on the treatment table as on the pitch, showed glimpses of his old form in front of over 60,000 fans. Mount probed effectively and looked like a genuine threat at times.
Arsenal Hitting Their Stride
Like the match 4 days ago, Emile Smith also did not appear in Arsenal’s official starting lineup. He is also in discussion to officially switch to play for Fulham.
Riccardo Calafiori is expected to be confirmed as a new signing within the next 48 hours. With Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka set to join once Arteta’s side returns to London, the team will likely look significantly different from how they appeared here.
At times, they displayed a fluidity in possession that their opponents couldn’t match.
To his manager’s frustration, one promising move was abruptly halted when captain Martin Odegaard seemed to be taken down by Bennett without a free-kick being awarded.
Jesus was particularly lively for Arsenal, and Martinelli posed a threat from the moment he entered the game with 19 minutes remaining.
By that point, Jonny Evans was the only experienced player in United’s defense, and the Brazilian capitalized on this to secure the victory.
What type of pitch was used for the Arsenal vs. Man Utd game?
The match was played on a specially grown grass pitch 7m, which will be removed on Monday to prepare for other upcoming events.
Stadium officials claimed the move was cost-effective. However, when questioned about the environmental impact, they admitted that efforts to find another party to take the pitch had so far been unsuccessful.
