Ten-man United battle to thrilling victory
Arsenal 1 - 1 Manchester United
Manchester United won 5-3 on penalties
Joshua Zirkzee sealed Manchester United’s place in the fourth round of the FA Cup by scoring the decisive penalty in a dramatic shootout victory over Arsenal, despite the Red Devils playing nearly an hour with 10 men.
United faced an uphill battle when Diogo Dalot received a second yellow card in the 61st minute for a mistimed tackle on Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino. The dismissal came after Bruno Fernandes had put United ahead in the 52nd minute with a stunning strike. The Portuguese playmaker curled the ball into the top corner after Alejandro Garnacho capitalised on Gabriel’s slip and delivered a pinpoint cross.
Arsenal quickly capitalised on their numerical advantage, equalising just two minutes later. Centre-back Gabriel volleyed home from close range to bring the Gunners level.
The momentum appeared to swing further in Arsenal’s favour when Harry Maguire was judged to have fouled Kai Havertz in the box, resulting in a penalty. However, after a heated altercation involving Maguire, Havertz, and Gabriel—leading to bookings for all three—Martin Ødegaard stepped up, only for Altay Bayindir to produce a brilliant save, diving to his left to deny the Arsenal captain.
Despite relentless pressure from Arsenal, including late chances for Declan Rice and Havertz, Bayindir remained outstanding, keeping United in the game throughout extra time.
The match was ultimately decided by penalties. Bayindir saved Havertz’s effort, and Zirkzee held his nerve to send David Raya the wrong way, clinching victory for United.
For Arsenal, the defeat marks their third FA Cup third-round exit in the past four seasons, leaving Mikel Arteta’s side to reflect on missed opportunities.
What next for Arteta?
It is not in question that Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal since taking over as manager in 2019.
Arteta has got Arsenal back into the Champions League after a seven-year absence and led the Gunners to two second-placed finishes in a row in the Premier League.
That progress renewed optimism in north London and, after pushing Manchester City to the final day of the Premier League season in the last campaign, many thought this would be the year that Arsenal finally lifted silverware.
However, Arteta has been dealt a number of blows throughout this season with injuries to key players such as Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Ben White.
When any Arsenal player speaks about winning trophies in interviews, they say that they are 'desperate' to win silverware and captain Odegaard used that phrase in his pre-match programme notes against Man United
Reaching the semi-final of the Carabao Cup is not Arsenal's main objective but it did give them the hope of a trip to Wembley and also gives Arteta the chance to lift a trophy which is what those who criticise his side point to.
That feeling of desperation of wanting to win a trophy and the frustration of missed chances against Newcastle, spilled into this game, as Arsenal missed opportunities and failed to break down a side that played with 10 men for nearly an hour.
Reaction from Olivia T
Although it was extremely difficult to watch, especially in the first half, it was clear that Amorim had a strategy and a plan to contain and defeat Arsenal. Achieving this with just 10 men was phenomenal. Arsenal should have won the game, but the steely determination and unity that Amorim has instilled in his team are impressive. Amorim has all the qualities necessary for success; we can only hope he is given as much time as Sir Alex Ferguson had.
The performance contained grit, determination and so much desire. That is all United fans want to see. Now we need to replicate that as a baseline rather than just against the 'big' teams. A confidence builder for sure.
