Ten-man Manchester United secured a thrilling 5-3 victory on penalties against Arsenal after a dramatic 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, earning their place in the FA Cup fourth round.
Defeated 2-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League in December, United exacted revenge as the reigning FA Cup champions delivered a spirited performance to extend their resurgence following last weekend’s impressive draw at Liverpool.
Ruben Amorim’s side took the lead in the 52nd minute when Bruno Fernandes unleashed a stunning strike into the far corner from the edge of the area. However, United were dealt a major blow nine minutes later when Diogo Dalot was sent off for a second booking after fouling Mikel Merino.
Arsenal capitalized on their numerical advantage, levelling in the 63rd minute as Gabriel Magalhães swivelled and fired a deflected shot past Altay Bayindir. The Gunners then had a golden chance to take the lead when Kai Havertz was brought down by Harry Maguire in the box.
A heated melee followed, with Maguire, Havertz, and Gabriel all receiving bookings. Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard stepped up for the spot-kick but saw his effort brilliantly saved by Bayindir, who dived to his left to keep the scores level.
Havertz missed further opportunities to win the game, as did Declan Rice, as Arsenal piled on the pressure in extra time. Bayindir continued to impress, making critical saves to frustrate Mikel Arteta’s side.
In the penalty shootout, Havertz’s miss proved costly when Bayindir saved his effort. Joshua Zirkzee then stepped up to score the decisive penalty, sending David Raya the wrong way and securing a memorable victory for United.
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