The Gunners looked composed in the final third, but Erik ten Hag's fitness woes of last season show no sign of easing off
Hollywood celebrities came out to catch Premier League royalty in action on Saturday, with popstar Justin Bieber, Denver Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook and A-list actor Will Poulter spotted amongst the crowd for Manchester United's pre-season match against Arsenal in Los Angeles.
The Red Devils fell to the Gunners 2-1, with goals from Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli leading Arsenal to victory. The lone effort for United came from Rasmus Hojlund, who was brilliant to start the match until his injury-enforced substitution in just the 16th minute.
Jesus levelled the game 10 minutes later, but the winner came in the closing stages, with Martinelli bagging a lovely solo goal late in the second half to secure the victory.
The loss won't be much of a worry for United boss Erik Ten Hag, rather, he'll be more worried about his star forward Hojlund and new signing, Leny Yoro, who were both had to come off in the first half with fitness issues.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from SoFi Stadium…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Gabriel Jesus
Jesus endured a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, succumbing to injury, poor form and a fall down the pecking order throughout the season. Against the Red Devils, though, he showed exactly what he can do in Mikel Arteta's system.
He produced the perfect poachers finish in the first half, sneaking behind the final defender and firing home before shushing the crowd with a cheeky celebration. It was a clinical effort and a top run.
An ideal start for the Brazilian this summer after missing out on Copa America, too.
AdvertisementLOSER: Rasmus Hojlund
It's rare that anybody who scores a goal finds themselves on the losing side of things, but Hojlund's first-half injury could be a costly one for the Red Devils.
He finished his goal well, beating Arsenal teenager Ayden Heaven before slotting home 10 minutes into the match.
He departed just six minutes later, though, heading straight down the tunnel in discomfort with an apparent hamstring problem. Hojlund walked off under his own power, but if it turns out to be anything serious, it could be a big blow for United prior to the start of the Premier League season.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Mason Mount
Ex-Chelsea man Mount logged just 45 minutes, as a planned substitution saw him exit the match at half-time. Despite that, he was the Red Devils' best attacker during the first portion of the match.
He completed 14 of his 16 passes, created two chances, registered one shot on target and won 50% of his ground duels.
After an injury-plagued debut season in Manchester, Mount looks sharp ahead of a potential comeback 2024-25 campaign.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Leandro Trossard
Trossard's from Euro 2024 continued on Saturday, with a rather poor showing for the Gunners. The 29-year-old logged 63 minutes on the night, but was unnoticeable for about 62 of them. He completed just one of five attempted dribbles, struggling to make any sort of impact on the wing.
After a poor showing with Belgium during the marquee summer competition, he needs to show Arteta he can still trust him on the left side of the pitch. Saturday will give the Spaniard little confidence in him of achieving that, though.