Arsenal 1 1 Manchester United Match Report

We exited the FA Cup on penalties, after a dramatic afternoon at Emirates Stadium.

After a lacklustre, disjointed, opening 45 minutes, the game burst into life early in the second-half. Bruno Fernandes fired the visitors ahead on the counter, but on the hour they were reduced to ten men when Diogo Dalot was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

We took advantage instantly, when Gabriel fired us level with an improvised finish. But Martin Odegaard then saw his penalty saved, and further missed chances – from Kai Havertz and Declan Rice among others – sent the game to extra-time.

We couldn’t make our numerical advantage count in the extra half-hour though, and so the two teams with the most FA Cup wins in history had to be separated by penalties in the third round. 

Havertz saw his penalty saved by Altay Bayindir, and with every other spot kick saved, we were knocked out at the first hurdle.

First-half of few chances

We started on the front foot, keen to bounce back from Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle. For the fourth year in a row at this stage of the FA Cup, we lined up in our all-white ‘No More Red’ kit, highlighting the fight against knife crime in London.

We enjoyed most of the possession in the opening half hour or so, albeit without working Altay Bayindir in the United goal.

We did have the ball in the net on 20 minutes, but belatedly the flag went up for offside against Gabriel Martinelli. Martin Odehaard started the move with a lovely flick, Gabriel Jesus then slid the ball through to Martinelli, via a deflection from Harry Maguire. The flag stayed down as Martinelli tucked home, but after United protests, the assistant referee ruled out the goal. There is no VAR at this stage of the competition, though it looked as though the officials arrived at the right decision on the pitch.

United’s first attempt was a low shot from 25 yards by Kobbie Mainoo that David Raya comfortably got down to.

Odegaard found Martinelli with a fine pass, but the Brazilian was forced wide, took a touch and his shot was charged down in the box.

Persistent stoppages

Jesus was stretchered off late in the first half. He collided with Bruno Fernandes on the edge of our own box while he was tracking back, and seemed to go down awkwardly. Raheem Sterling came on to replace him.

It had been a stop-start half. There were far more fouls than shots in the opening 45 minutes – 12 conceded by the visitors, resulting in two yellow cards, and the game struggled to have any flow.

Our final attempt of the opening half was a free-kick from Odegaard, that the skipper sent over the bar.

Sparking into life

Early in the second-half United broke the deadlock. They seized upon a slip on the halfway line by Gabriel and Garnacho pounced on the loose ball. He raced forwards before teeing up the arriving Fernandes, who gave Raya no chance with an emphatic finish.

The 8,000 United fans in the Clock End found their voice, it was time for us to find a response on the pitch.

Almost immediately Mikel Merino had a shot blocked at close quarters before Kai Havertz sliced a shot wide when well placed.

At the other end United streamed away on the break, when Saliba appeared to be fouled on the halfway line. Gabriel got back well to intercept.

Then a couple of minutes that really brought the game to life. Dalot dived in recklessly on Martinelli and was shown his second yellow card to reduce the visitors to ten men.

From the resulting free-kick we carved out the chance for Gabriel’s equaliser. The cross from the left was only half-cleared, and there was our Brazilian defender to acrobatically score, via a deflection. There 100 seconds between the United red card and our leveller. Game on.

Odegaard denied

With 20 minutes left we had the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot. Havertz was fouled in the area by Harry Maguire, and the referee had no hesitation in awarding the spot kick. After a bit if pushing and shoving among the two sets of players, order was restored, and Odegaard struck his shot low to the keeper’s left, but Bayindir got across well to palm it away.

The Turkish keeper then made another flying save to deny substitute Declan Rice. His header from Odegaard’s cross was tipped over after he’d eluded his markers.

The momentum was firmly with us after the equaliser, but there’s no doubt the penalty save checked our progress.

We kept creating chances though, and Havertz should have bulged the net when he controlled a cross in front of the keeper, but he stabbed over from under the bar.

Rice had a chance to win it deep in injury-time, shifting the ball onto his left foot inside the area, and driving low towards the corner, but Bayindir again denied him, pushing away for a corner.

Extra-time

And so to the extra half hour. Rice had our first effort, set up by Jorginho in the area, but his shot was blocked.

Havertz was next to get in behind the defence. He crossed for Leandro Trossard arriving in the middle, but Matthijs de Ligt hooked the danger away from on the goalline.

The last action of the first-half was a Rice header that just didn’t drop for Havertz.

Raya came to our rescue at the start of the second period. Joshua Zirkzee had time to measure a shot from just inside the area, and disguised his attempt into the near post. Our keeper read it excellently though, and got just enough on it to tip it wide.

Partey had a shot deflected over right at the end, but full-time signalled a penalty shootout.

Penalties

The spot kicks were taken in front of the away fans, with United going first…

Bruno Fernandes – scored 1-0Martin Odegaard – scored 1-1Amad Diallo – scored 2-1Kai Havertz – saved 2-1Leny Yoro – scored 3-1Declan Rice – scored 3-2Lisandro Martinez – scored 4-2Thomas Partey – scored 4-3Joshua Zirkzee – scored 5-3

What’s next

The third in a run of five consecutive home games is this Wednesday, against Tottenham in the Premier League. We then host Aston Villa next weekend, also in the league, before resuming our Champions League campaign at home to Dinamo Zagreb.