ARSENAL 1, MAN UTD 1
(after extra time. United won 5-3 on penalties)
What a huge statement victory for new Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim as their 10 men produced a heroic display to defeat Arsenal in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.
The Reds, forced to play more than an hour with one less player after Diogo Dalot’s dismissal, produced grit and determination not to be beaten against the Premier League title contenders.
Cup holders United managed to take the game to penalties where reserve keeper Altay Bayindir was the hero.
The Turk, who pulled off a spot kick save in normal time to deny Martin Odegaard, made the crucial stop in the shootout with a splendid save low down to keep out Kai Havertz.
United held their nerve with five perfect penalties from Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee.
And it earned United a spicy home tie in the fourth round against Leicester City with Ruud van Nistelrooy to make an emotional return to Old Trafford after his recent spell as interim manager who Amorim did not want to keep at the club when he took over.
“I talked with him before I came. I’m looking forward to speaking with him. He’s a class guy but we need to win. Maybe we’ll be divided because he loves this club, but we need to win,” said Amorim.
United’s head coach praised Bayindir who was making only his fifth appearance for the Reds since signing for them in September 2023.
Bayindir is the first Premier League goalkeeper on since 2013-14 to save a penalty in both normal time and in a penalty shootout in the same FA Cup game.
Amorim said: “He’s a good guy, he works a lot and life has beautiful things. A few weeks ago, we were suffering through a difficult moment but now he’s like a hero for us.
“All the players in this team who have the opportunity are lucky because they are playing for Manchester United. It doesn’t matter if you play one game or 90 games, its always a joy to play for this club.”
Amorim praised his players, saying: “Thankfully the players were there, they fought. Sometimes what we talk about before the match is not tactical or technical, it’s this.
“We have to compete no matter what, no matter what the situation we competed today. We deserved to win, Arsenal didn’t deserve to lose but we deserved to win.
“The way we played, the way we fought was really tough since the beginning. We didn’t have the ball too much, but we had control without the ball.
Embed from Getty Images“I want to also say thank you to all the fans. It was unbelievable. I did not understand that all that area was our supporters. It was a good day for us now we have to rest the players. I’m already thinking about the next game as they’re really tired.
“Sometimes we have the feeling that everything in the end is going to be okay. I felt that since the beginning of the second half, even after the penalty. I think the Arsenal team felt that maybe today is not their day.
“I’m really pleased for the way they controlled the game without the ball. We defended very well, set pieces we were really strong.
“We were facing a great team, and it was not just 90 minutes, it was more than that and then you feel like the players are really tired. They put in new players, they controlled the ball all the time, it was a sacrifice for my players.
“But we deserved to pass through this round because we suffered all together and we showed character and that’s a very important thing.”
Arsenal, who were looking to record five straight wins against United for the first time, had a goal from Gabriel Martinelli disallowed in a poor opening half for offside.
United, winless in their last five visits to the Emirates, had only one clear-cut chance in the opening half as Kobbie Mainoo forced a diving save from David Raya.
While then first 45 minutes were a damp squib, the second period was pulsating and everything the opening one wasn’t with goals and drama by the bucket full.
United snatched a 52nd minute lead when Alejandro Garnacho robbed Gabriel and raced down the right and squared a pass for Fernandes to sweep home from just inside the penalty area for his seventh goal of the season – all netted since Erik ten Hag was sacked.
Havertz sliced a shot wide from nine yards when he looked set to score, a huge let off for the Reds who were reduced to 10 men just after the hour when Dalot picked up a second booking in 12 minutes.
When Arsenal equalised within two minutes, it looked like the beginning of the end for United.
Bayindir’s poor punch from a cross was fired home by Gabriel from 15 yards, the Brazilian centre back’s fifth goal of the season.
Arsenal had the chance to take the lead when they conceded a harsh penalty as Harry Maguire was judged to have brought down by Havertz.
There was minimal contact – too little to merit a spot kick – but there was no VAR as a safeguard for a further check.
The award caused tempers to boil and there was an unsavoury melee involving both sets of players with three booked – Havertz and Gabriels for the Gunners and Maguire for the Reds along with a member of their backroom staff on the bench.
When order was restored almost three minutes later, Odegaard saw his well-struck penalty brilliantly saved low to his left by Bayindir.
Substitute Declan Rice then had a header from inside the six-yard box superbly turned over by Bayindir and Havertz squandered another sitter spooning a shot over from three yards, a terrible miss.
In the fourth of seven added minutes, player-of-the-match Bayindir got his fingertips to an angled shot from Rice which was destined for the net.
Matthijs de Ligt made a terrific clearance from almost on the line from Havertz’s cross to also save a certain goal.
United continued to defend superbly in the additional 30 minutes as Arsenal ran out of ideas.
Indeed, the Reds would have snatched victory in the 106th minute but for an amazing save from Raya, who initially was diving the wrong way, to keep out Zirkzee’s deflected shot.
The game was settled by penalties as United were spot on with their five kicks while Havertz was denied by Bayindir, the decisive moment in the shootout.