During a dramatic afternoon at Emirates Stadium, Manchester United initially took the lead with a goal from Marcus Rashford in the first half, but Martin Odegaard quickly equalized. A draw appeared likely until Declan Rice netted his first goal for Arsenal in the 96th minute, followed by Gabriel Jesus sealing a 3-1 victory just two minutes later.
While it was a disappointing outing for Erik ten Hag’s team, there were positive aspects to take away, including the 20-year-old Danish player’s first appearance in a Manchester United jersey. Hojlund displayed brightness and added a physical presence to United’s forward line that had been lacking before his introduction.
After the match, the Danish player posted on Instagram, expressing his pride at making his debut for Manchester United and emphasizing his determination to be on the winning side the next time he represents the club. Hojlund wrote: “So proud to make my debut for @manchesterunited. The dream became a reality. Unlucky with the result today… but we will bounce back after the international break. Now focus on what’s coming soon.”
United legend Gary Neville praised Hojlund’s debut but also pointed out the challenges the striker may encounter at Old Trafford. Neville explained, “Manchester United haven’t had a striker that they can hit. That’s the problem. Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t a classic target man, Anthony Martial’s certainly not, and Marcus Rashford’s not. At least they’ve got someone who looks like he’ll disrupt defenders and use his physicality. He’s aggressive and a hard worker.”
Neville continued, “The challenge for him is that he’s still learning the game. He’s only played a couple of seasons of top-level football, and we’re expecting him to be like Erling Haaland. That’s the problem. Manchester United don’t have anyone else with the experience to support him. We’ve been watching Martial for 9-10 years at Manchester United, and he’s not what Erik ten Hag wants. This young lad has a lot of pressure on him, a big price tag, but it was an encouraging start.”