Andre Onana accomplishes what David de Gea failed to in his Premier League debut

• Manchester United hosted Wolves in their opener of the 2023/24 Premier League season
• Andre Onana made his debut as Manchester United goalkeeper in that match
• Onana achieved what David de Gea could not in his Premier League debut for United

In his debut Premier League appearance for Manchester United, goalkeeper Andre Onana delivered a standout performance that was pivotal in securing a 1-0 victory against Wolves, safeguarding a clean sheet for his team. While Onana’s reputation for his technical prowess had ignited hopes of transforming United’s style of play under Erik ten Hag, his pre-season outings were plagued by a lack of clean sheets. To compound matters, he faced ridicule from rival fans on social media after being lobbed from the halfway line during his Old Trafford debut against Lens earlier in August.

Nonetheless, his performance against Wolves on Monday night proved to be a much-needed turning point for Onana. The visiting team posed a steady stream of challenges, keeping United’s newly-anointed number one (sporting jersey number 24) consistently engaged without causing overly formidable threats. Although he was called upon to make several saves, including Pedro Neto’s attempt straight at him and Fabio Silva’s low shots that he blocked with his feet, these instances were generally within the realm of routine saves.

These contributions from Onana, while anticipated of a goalkeeper of his caliber, played a pivotal role in clinching the victory and fortifying his confidence, a crucial rebound from a preseason marked by mixed performances. It’s important to note, however, that a measure of luck was on his side as well. The potentially costly aerial collision with Wolves’ substitute Sasa Kalajdzic in stoppage time could easily have led to a penalty, yet the officiating team, following an extended VAR review, chose to dismiss the appeals.

READ: Manchester United kickstart Premier League with win over Wolves

Andre Onana bagged a clean sheet on his Premier League debut as Manchester United goalkeeper, surviving a VAR scare in the stoppage time. | PHOTO: Sky Sports |

In hindsight, this stroke of luck appeared to align with the overall balance of Onana’s performance throughout the preceding 94 minutes. Comparisons with some of Manchester United’s previous goalkeeping greats underscore the significance of Onana’s clean sheet. In 2011, David de Gea’s Premier League debut resulted in a victory against West Brom, although he conceded a goal near the end of the first half. Edwin van der Sar’s United league debut in 2005 yielded a clean sheet, but his first-ever Premier League appearance for Fulham in 2001 at Old Trafford ended in a high-scoring affair with three goals conceded.

Reflecting on historical debuts, Peter Schmeichel’s league debut for United in the 1991/92 season saw him keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 triumph over Notts County. However, Brian Deane of Sheffield United etched his name into history as the scorer of the very first Premier League goal past Schmeichel the following year.

On the horizon for Onana and Manchester United is an upcoming encounter with Tottenham on Saturday, a crucial opportunity for the goalkeeper to continue building on his momentum and prove his mettle in the competitive Premier League landscape.