The fallout from Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 17, 2025, wasn’t just on the pitch; it spilled into the Sky Sports studio, where Roy Keane and Micah Richards clashed over Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayındır’s role in the decisive goal.
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Bayındır endured a nightmare moment midway through the first half when he failed to deal with Declan Rice’s dangerous in-swinging corner.
Under pressure from William Saliba, the Turkish goalkeeper flapped at the delivery, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to nod home at the back post.
It was the only goal of the game, and one that Keane was in no mood to excuse.
Speaking with his trademark bluntness, the former United captain blasted the 27-year-old’s indecision.
“He has to come with violence. Be aggressive, almost daring players: ‘Come in here, I’ll deal with it.’ But he’s not strong enough. It’s schoolboy stuff. Don’t look at the referee, take control of the situation,” Keane said.
Richards, however, leapt to Bayındır’s defence, arguing the goalkeeper had been let down by his teammates’ positioning.
“If you look at Saliba and Mount, he’s getting ragdolled everywhere. De Ligt could have tucked inside, and Mount gone wide. Yes, Bayındır should do better, but when you’ve got bodies blocking you,” Richards said.
The exchange quickly escalated, with Keane cutting Richards off. “The goalkeeper’s on his heels, he should be on his toes. Saliba’s doing very little to him,” Keane barked.
Richards shot back, insisting defenders had a duty to shield their keeper:
“The job of that player in that role is to protect the goalkeeper so he can come and punch it. There’s chaos in there,” he said.
The heated back-and-forth left fellow pundit Daniel Sturridge grinning on the sidelines, but the debate reflected a deeper truth: United’s fragility at set-pieces continues to cost them.
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