Manchester United beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after their FA Cup tie finished 1-1 following extra time with Kai Havertz missing in the shootout to send 10-man United into the fourth round.
Arsenal missed a host of chances during the game but were also denied by some great goalkeeping from United’s Altay Bayindir while his opposite number, David Raya, made a brilliant late save from Joshua Zirkzee, who then score the winning penalty.
Following a quick counter-attack in the first half, Bruno Fernandes finished after great work from Alejandro Garnacho before a red card for Diogo Dalot (following a second yellow) changed the complexion of the game and Arsenal equalised soon after through Gabriel.
Mikel Arteta’s side could have taken the lead from the penalty spot minutes later but Altay Bayindir saved low to his left from Martin Odegaard and followed it up shortly after with a fine save from Declan Rice’s header. The majority of players on the pitch were also involved in heated confrontations around the penalty decision.
Here The Athletic’s James McNicholas, Elias Burke and Mark Critchley break down the talking points from an entertaining tie at the Emirates.
Why the chaos after penalty decision?
The five minutes of madness started with a Raheem Sterling dribble into United’s box.
Sterling picked out Havertz, who had made a deep run from midfield. After he had taken a touch out of his feet — seemingly opening up a gap for a right-footed shot — he took a sharp touch to the right, leaving Harry Maguire off-balance in front of him.
As Havertz moves to Maguire’s left, the United centre-back puts his arm across the German and sticks his leg out. Havertz’s knee makes slight contact with Maguire’s knee, with the ball now in covering United defender Lisandro Martinez’s possession. Referee Andy Madley immediately pointed for the spot, with BBC pundit Micah Richards later describing the incident as “not enough for a penalty at all” in the studio analysis.
Led by Maguire and Manuel Ugarte, United players surrounded the referee and appealed with the England defender clearly bewildered by the decision.
As the BBC broadcast replayed the penalty incident to the television audience, United and Arsenal players began pushing and shoving inside the box. Maguire confronted Havertz before Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber came to the defence of his team-mate. Then, away from Maguire and Gabriel, Ugarte and Havertz started a head-pushing match before Ugarte nudged forward, and Havertz went to the ground holding his face.
When tensions cooled, Gabriel handed the ball to Martin Odegaard to resume action with the small matter of a penalty kick.
Odegaard’s whipped shot towards the bottom-right corner looked set to nestle into the side-netting, but Bayindir’s outstretched left hand was more than a match, pushing the Norwegian’s shot wide of the post before popping back up to bring it into his grasp.
Elias Burke
Where did Biyindir’s saves come from?
After barely being given a kick during his first year in Manchester, Altay Bayindir was assured appearances in the cup competitions this season by Erik ten Hag. Amorim has stood by his predecessor’s promise, even after the 26-year-old conceded from that ‘Olimpico’ in the Carabao Cup at Tottenham last month.
There were still plenty of shaky moments here for Bayindir — not just his tame attempt to punch away the cross that led to Gabriel’s goal but also his wayward, awkward kicking that repeatedly sent the ball into touch.
But from that moment onwards, Bayindir was a man transformed — saving Odegaard’s penalty, Rice’s header at point-blank range, then tipping a late effort from Rice around the post. He stood strong under pressure at Arsenal’s set-pieces too.
Bayindir saves from Rice (IAN KINGTON/IKIMAGES/AFP via Getty Images)
Do United have a dependable back-up? This was still only Bayindir’s fifth appearance. The jury remains out. But the way he played from Arsenal’s goal onwards will only bring him much-needed confidence.
Mark Critchley
How did Arsenal miss so many chances?
Arsenal failed to score from 23 attempts on goal in midweek against Newcastle, and once more were unable to show a clinical edge here.
Kai Havertz was probably most guilty on Tuesday, allowing a simple-headed chance to strike him on the shoulder. Against United, he twice fired over the bar from situations where hitting the target looked easier.
Declan Rice also had a brilliant chance to score from a clipped Odegaard pass, but his header was straight at Bayindir, who also saved his low shot at the end of normal time. Leandro Trossard was also denied by Matthijs De Ligt when almost on the goalline in extra time.
Arsenal’s profligacy will increase the focus on their need for an attacking signing in the January transfer window.
Arteta must be so grateful he is able to call on Gabriel — although perhaps the fact that a centre-half is consistently one of Arsenal’s biggest goal threats tells its own story.
James McNicholas
What was Garnacho’s role in Amorim’s gameplan?
There has been a lot of scrutiny of Alejandro Garnacho’s performances of late, much of it unjustified for a 20-year-old who clearly has bags of ability.
Amorim named Garnacho in the starting line-up for first time in more than a month and was repaid by his critical role in a classic United counter-attack at the Emirates, up there with Ronaldo ’09 and Rooney ’10.
If you’re going to be as tight and compact as United set out to be here, you need speed on the break to pose a threat. With Marcus Rashford frozen out, Garnacho is United’s best oulet in that regard.
Garnacho did brilliantly to make the most of Gabriel’s misjudgement of an aerial ball and, from there, turned on the after-burners to break into the space United had been trying to capitalise on all afternoon.
He still needed to find a pass, and did to perfection, squaring into space for Fernandes. Take nothing away from the United captain’s finish, but even he had to pay credit to Garnacho in his celebration, after what has been a trying period for a special young talent.
Mark Critchley
How damaging is Jesus’ injury?
As Arsenal reckon with the loss of Bukayo Saka to hamstring surgery, Arteta has tried a number of different options as his replacement. Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard have all done stints on the right wing, with mixed results.
For this game, Arteta decided to use Jesus on the wing. On paper, he is a good fit: he played extensively in the position at Manchester City, and has the tactical discipline that Arteta demands of his wide men.
Unfortunately, the experiment lasted just 40 minutes. Jesus initially went down after an aerial challenge. His knee was tested by the physio and the decision was made to play on.
A few minutes later, he was caught in a tangle with Bruno Fernandes (see below), and appeared to land awkwardly in his right leg.
Jesus departed on a stretcher, head in hands. The immediate fears were he had sustained an injury to the knee he damaged during the 2022 World Cup.
The loss of another attacking option would be a tremendous blow to Arsenal — especially after Jesus appeared to have experienced a return to goalscoring form. Arsenal will be cursing their luck, and surely be scouring the January transfer market for potential reinforcements.
Arsenal urgently require an addition to their front line. Even if a long-term target cannot be persuaded to move mid-season, they are in dire need of temporary cover.
James McNicholas
Did Fernandes go too far with boot protest?
A stop-start, fragmented first half at least included an inventive show of dissent by Fernandes, when he received a yellow card for twice throwing his boot to the ground in protest at referee Andy Madley.
Fernandes was frustrated because, when he was lining up a shot in space on the edge of Arsenal’s box Gabriel Jesus came clattering through the back of him, dislodging his boot.
The United captain took the boot off and threw it to the ground as play went on, with Gabriel giving it a kick for good measure.
When Madley stopped play so that the injured Jesus could receive treatment, he ignored Fernandes’ protests again, so the boot was thrown to the turf once more.
Even if it was all a bit melodramatic, and even though Jesus came off the worse in the clash and had to be taken off on a stretcher with an injury, Fernandes had a point.
It looked like a clear foul, missed by Madley, which should have seen United awarded a free-kick in a promising position.
Mark Critchley
What did Mikel Arteta say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What did Ruben Amorim say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Arsenal?
Wednesday, January 15: Tottenham Hotspur (H), Premier League, 8pm (GMT), 3pm (ET)
What next for Manchester United?
Thursday, January 16: Southampton (H), Premier League, 8pm (GMT), 3pm (ET)
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(Top photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
