Arsenal 1-1 Man United: Winners & losers as FA Cup holders win shoot-out after Diogo Dalot sees red | OneFootball

The marquee fixture of this season’s FA Cup third round was always set to be Arsenal hosting Manchester United.

Between them, they have won 27 cups: the Gunners are record champions with 14, while United, the current holders, secured their 13th crown at Manchester City’s expense last season.

However, since then, United have parted ways with Erik ten Hag, and their fortunes have not improved, as they continue to struggle in the Premier League. They did manage to earn a morale-boosting draw against Liverpool before this match.

On the other hand, Arsenal, who finished as runners-up in the last two seasons, dropped points in their most recent league outing and suffered a 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final earlier in the week.

With a place in the fourth round at stake, Mikel Arteta and Ruben Amorim named strong lineups with minimal changes.

The match proceeded to extra time after the first 90 minutes concluded with a 1-1 scoreline, as Bruno Fernandes gave the visitors the lead before Gabriel levelled proceedings, while United were a man down after Diogo Dalot picked up a second yellow card. The game could have been settled had Martin Odegaard converted a penalty, but it was expertly saved by the Red Devils’ backup goalkeeper.

After extra time ended with no additional goals, the match proceeded to a tense shootout, where Arsenal/Man Utd emerged victorious, winning 5-3. Kai Havertz missed the all-important kick.

As the dust settles, we have picked out four winners and three losers from this clash of titans.

Winner: Altay Bayındır

His previous match for Manchester United before today occurred in north London, where Tottenham triumphed with a 4-3 victory, eliminating Amorim’s men from the EFL Cup. In that unusual game, Son Heung-min’s corner kick flew over Bayindir, who failed to clear it with a punch, leading to a goal that increased Spurs’ advantage to 4-2. Given the recent experience, he started this match with noticeable tension, misjudging several goal kicks.

Bayındır could not maintain a clean sheet as Gabriel’s deflected shot found its way past him. However, he redeemed himself by saving Martin Odegaard’s penalty and subsequently thwarting Declan Rice’s close-range attempt. Stopping Rice again deep into stoppage time was even more impressive. His shot from a narrow angle was tipped behind. Bayındır saved another penalty during the shoot-out, denying Kai Havertz and giving United a lead they never squandered.

Loser: Diogo Dalot

One must question the mindset of players on a yellow card, particularly when competing against the opposition in a high-pressure environment. Diego Dalot initially misjudged his positioning against Myles Lewis-Skelly, resulting in a foul that earned him a yellow card.

Shortly after United takes the lead, Dalot commits another foul by sliding into Mikel Merino without making contact with the ball, leading to a straightforward decision for the referee and a second yellow card.

Following this setback for the Red Devils, a set-piece opportunity arises for the Gunners. Altay Bayindir punches the ball instead of catching it, which proves costly. The ball falls to Gabriel, who had previously contributed to United’s opening goal with an error. His shot takes a deflection off Matthijs de Ligt, resulting in the equaliser.

Winners: Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt

Harry Maguire put in a phenomenal performance despite giving away the penalty that Odegaard ultimately missed. From the very beginning, Manchester United were under pressure, but Maguire rose to the occasion. After being substituted just minutes before the end of the first half of extra time, the England international recorded 11 clearances, five blocks, and successfully won both of his attempted tackles, as well as four aerial duels. These contributions were crucial as Arsenal appeared poised to score.

It wasn’t solely Maguire’s effort that made a difference; fellow centre-back Matthijs de Ligt also played a significant role. A particularly important moment occurred early in extra time when Arsenal managed to break through. Kai Havertz squared the ball past the goalkeeper, seemingly setting up Leandro Trossard for an easy tap-in. However, De Ligt intervened just in time, causing Trossard to miss the shot, which sailed over the bar from just two yards out.

“Harry Maguire has been absolutely fantastic this afternoon,” Alan Shearer noted on BBC commentary.

“Him and De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, when they have had to defend they have done so really, really well.

“They have been up against it for large parts of this game. Maguire in particular, and de Ligt have been superb.”

Loser: Gabriel Jesus

You never want to put down a player who has sustained an injury in the ‘loser’ column, but prior to leaving the field just before half-time, Jesus was underperforming down Arsenal’s right flank. At one point, Jorginho had to urge the Brazilian to demonstrate more movement, as he frequently hesitated to advance past his marker.

Unfortunately, during a rare attacking moment for the Red Devils, the former Man City forward suffered an injury after colliding with Bruno Fernandes. While Fernandes believed he was fouled and had a reasonable case, the absence of VAR meant the incident could not be reassessed. Jesus exited without making any attempts on goal, creating a chance, or attempting a single dribble.

Winner: Joshua Zirkzee

Coming on in the 81st minute, with United playing a man down, one wondered how Joshua Zirkzee would perform, especially given recent events. Two weeks ago, against Newcastle, Amorim substituted him off in the 33rd minute for what seemed to be his own protection, which led to the Old Trafford faithful cheering during what was a painful moment for the Dutch forward, who struggled in that Premier League loss.

Zirkzee made a five-minute cameo against Liverpool the following week, but his eventual 40-minute shift against Arsenal could be pivotal for his United career, especially with discussions of a loan move this winter. He never stopped running and even helped initiate one promising counter-attack. What solidified his performance, however, was being entrusted with taking the crucial fifth spot-kick.

The courage it took to be tasked with sending United—who had played an hour with ten men—through to the next round should be commended. The sheer relief on his face felt like a cathartic moment, allowing him to put his recent setback behind him and earning him the support of United’s travelling fans.

This isn’t a full comeback, as he will need to start producing consistent results, but for now, the former Bologna marksman is back in their good graces, and that’s a positive start.

Loser: Kai Havertz

Arsenal has been frequently linked with a striker this month, and there’s a clear reason for this. Although Kai Havertz has often performed well in the ‘false nine’ role, he lacks the cutting edge that the Gunners truly need. Today’s game highlighted this issue, as he missed two excellent opportunities from close range—one being a glaring mistake just before the end of regulation time.

A cross from Martin Ødegaard fell perfectly for Havertz, who controlled it on his knee. However, from just five yards out, he managed to poke it over the bar. As Shearer remarked, “It falls nicely for Kai Havertz, and he just gets it all wrong.” The statistics for goals from open play this season clearly indicate that Arsenal needs a striker with a killer instinct and a strong presence in the box. To make matters worse, Havertz was the only player to miss in the shoot-out, which only added to a disappointing performance.

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