Manchester United secures Onana and Zirkzee's return prior to their initial Premier League match
Manchester United Prepares for Premier League Opener Amidst Goalkeeping Concerns
Manchester United, one of the most iconic football clubs in the world, is gearing up for the Premier League opener against Arsenal on Sunday. However, the Red Devils are facing concerns in the goalkeeping department, following a less-than-impressive performance in the 2024-25 season.
Andre Onana, Manchester United's first-choice goalkeeper, had a rocky season, with three errors leading to goals. His teammate, Arijanet Muric, also struggled, with more errors leading to goals than Onana. The goalkeeping duo's performance was criticised by ESPN’s Mark Ogden, who labelled them as having "the worst two goalkeepers in the Premier League."
Despite the criticism, Onana remains Manchester United's first-choice goalkeeper for the present. His return to training following a hamstring injury in July is a positive sign for the club. He prevented an estimated 1.3 goals based on shots faced in the 2024-25 campaign, indicating his potential.
The club has been linked with a move for Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez and Paris Saint-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma to bolster their goalkeeping ranks. The addition of these experienced goalkeepers could provide the much-needed reinforcement in the goalkeeping department.
Meanwhile, forward Joshua Zirkzee has also returned to training after an injury sustained in April. Zirkzee, who scored six goals during the period when Amorim took charge, with only Bruno Fernandes scoring more, could start the new season on the bench with the arrival of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko.
The team's defensive issues were evident in their opening match of the 2024-25 season, a 1-0 loss to Arsenal. The match reports highlighted goalkeeping lapses and problems with set pieces, areas that the team will need to work on ahead of their upcoming clash against Arsenal.
As Manchester United prepares for the new season, the goalkeeping department will undoubtedly be under the spotlight. The club's performance in clean sheets was less than stellar in the 2024-25 season, with no standout clean sheet records. The clean sheet leaders in the Premier League 2024-25 season were David Raya and Matz Sels with 13 clean sheets each, not including any Manchester United goalkeeper, which may hint at Man United’s relative struggles defensively or goalkeeping-wise in clean sheets.
The upcoming match against Arsenal will be a litmus test for Manchester United's goalkeepers and their ability to perform under pressure. The team will be hoping for a strong showing to kickstart their new season on a positive note.
In light of Manchester United's less-than-impressive goalkeeping performance in the 2024-25 season, the team will aim to address these concerns ahead of their Premier League opener against Arsenal. The addition of Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez or Paris Saint-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma could provide the goalkeeping reinforcement Manchester United needs, especially considering ESPN's Mark Ogden's critique of their current goalkeepers as having "the worst two goalkeepers in the Premier League."
