Both sides have started the season disappointingly but both came into the game off a victory, aiming to secure a bit of momentum to escape the lower-mid-table area. Los Hijos enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, with Llorente offering a busy performance, but Bielsa’s men took the lead with a straightforward Perisic header at a corner and the hosts lacked quality up front to carve out the right kind of opportunity. Arbor Red, for their part, put in a real shift, seeming desperate to put right their early results, and they will have earned their manager’s delight with a valuable win.

By Volumina Figgins