Manchester United keeps alive, for now, its ‘crown’ as current FA Cup champion. The ‘red devils’, with 10 from the 61st minute due to Dalot’s expulsion, survived at the Emirates to reach the round of 32. They did it, above all, thanks to the great game of Altay Bayindir. Onana’s substitute saved a penalty against Odegaard, at 1-1, and another against Havertz, already in the shootout, to seal the move to the round of 32, where an ‘old acquaintance’ awaits him: Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester. The Gunners, for their part, say goodbye to the first title of the season.
Both Mikel Arteta and Rúben Amorim awarded the match the ‘early final’ label. Both, beyond the already known losses of Saka, White and Rashford, formed with their almost gala elevens. Rice, Odegaard, Onana and Diallo (touched) were barely saved.
Arsenal’s overwhelming dominance at the start of the first half was not matched, however, with chances. We had to wait until the 24th minute to see the first shot on goal. It was done, curiously, by Kobbie Mainoo for United.
It is true that shortly before, in the 18th minute, there was a goal (well) disallowed – in the FA Cup there is no VAR – against Martinelli for offside. Maguire deflected it… but the Brazilian was ahead when he received from Gabriel Jesus.
Gabriel Jesus, precisely, starred in the worst news of the game. The former City player, who seemed to have rediscovered his goal, was injured in a chance incident and left on a stretcher with obvious signs of pain. We will have to wait for the MRI, but there is fear of a serious injury.
Gabriel Jesus leaves the field on a stretcher.Lapresse.
United, who spent the entire first half waiting for a mistake to counterattack, found it right after the break. Gabriel Magalhaes failed in the clearance and Garnacho took advantage of it to attack the area and give in to the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, who beat David Raya with an extraordinary hit.
Havertz could have equalized in the 55th minute, but, with everything in his favour, he finished off wide. Suddenly, in just two minutes, everything went wrong for the ‘red devils’. Diogo Dalot received a second yellow card in the 61st minute for a challenge on Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes equalized in the 63rd minute.
The central defender, formerly of Lille, ‘hunted’ a ‘dead’ ball after a bad clearance by Bayindir to score with a left foot that touched De Ligt before entering.
It could have been even worse. The referee, Andrew Madley, turned Havertz’s ‘swim’ into a Maguire penalty in the 69th minute. However, Bayindir came up big to stop Odegaard’s shot from 11 meters.
Bayindir, in fact, ‘guaranteed’ the extension to United. The former Fenerbahçe goalkeeper deflected a point-blank header from Rice into a corner in the 76th minute and a cross shot from Rice himself in the 94th minute. In between, Havertz forgave, again, hand in hand.
Extra time was a siege from Arsenal. United, with 10, resisted well. He barely conceded any chances. The clearest, a ‘death pass’ from Haverz that was saved on the line by De Ligt in the 102nd minute.
The ‘red devils’ were about to make the 0-1 play in the first play of the second half of overtime. Diallo led on this occasion and Zirkzee connected with a low shot that David Raya took next to the post. The scoreboard, finally, would not move at the Emirates: penalties.
The round certified Havertz’s bad night. The former Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen player was the only one who failed. Bayindir stopped him, or rather. The successes of Bruno Fernandes, Diallo, Yoro, Lisandro Martínez and Zirkzee certified Manchester United’s passage to the round of 32 of the FA Cup. The current champion is still alive.
