Manchester United secured a dramatic 5-3 victory on penalties over Arsenal in a pulsating FA Cup third-round clash at the Emirates Stadium.
The match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of relentless action. Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring early in the second half with a sublime first-time strike into the corner, capitalizing on Alejandro Garnacho’s excellent build-up play. Arsenal responded quickly through Gabriel Magalhães, whose deflected low finish restored parity.
United’s hopes were dented when Diogo Dalot received two quick yellow cards, reducing them to ten men and piling on the pressure. However, Altay Bayindir rose to the occasion with a series of crucial saves, including a penalty stop to deny Martin Ødegaard.
Despite Arsenal dominating the extra-time period, they couldn’t break down a resilient United defense. The match proceeded to penalties, where United maintained their composure, converting all five of their attempts. Kai Havertz’s miss for Arsenal proved decisive, as Joshua Zirkzee sealed the win with the final spot-kick.
Penalty Shootout Summary:
- 0-1: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) – SCORED ✅
- 1-1: Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) – SCORED ✅
- 1-2: Amad Diallo (Man Utd) – SCORED ✅
- 1-2: Kai Havertz (Arsenal) – SAVED ❌
- 1-3: Leny Yoro (Man Utd) – SCORED ✅
- 2-3: Declan Rice (Arsenal) – SCORED ✅
- 2-4: Lisandro Martínez (Man Utd) – SCORED ✅
- 3-4: Thomas Partey (Arsenal) – SCORED ✅
- 3-5: Joshua Zirkzee (Man Utd) – SCORED ✅
United’s resilience and Bayindir’s heroics ensured a famous victory and a place in the FA Cup fourth round.
