Manchester United were expected to buckle under pressure when Arsenal equalised following Diogo Dalot’s sending-off. But instead, they dug deep to take the game to penalties and eventually clinched a 5-3 win away at the Emirates.
Sunday’s famous FA Cup win would not have been possible without the backline performing exceedingly well, as they had to hold off the Gunners for over an hour with a man down to take the game to penalties.
Matthijs de Ligt had to play out of his skin to keep the Gunners at bay, as the Dutchman made two stunning interventions in extra time worth talking about.
The first came as Declan Rice was lining up to shoot at Altay Bayindir‘s goal but the former Bayern Munich star slide in to make a crucial block.
De Ligt made a couple of stunning defensive interceptions
And the second was even more impressive as Kai Havertz’ pass seemed destined to be finished off by Leandro Trossard who was running in to meet the ball inches away from the goalline.
But De Ligt steamed in to clear away and the defender was pumped up with that defensive action. The Netherlands international made a total of seven clearances during the 120 minutes.
Matthijs de Ligt’s game by numbers vs. Arsenal:
100% ground duels won
80% pass accuracy
31 total touches
7 clearances
0 x dribbled past
0 foulsDe ligtful stuff. 🪨 pic.twitter.com/msZ8julqNP
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 12, 2025
The 25-year-old also made one interception and was not dribbled past even once during the game. That was not all as the former Ajax star won all his ground duels.
De Ligt was brave with the ball as well, having 31 touches while completing 16 of his 20 passes with one successful long-ball played (all stats via sofascore).
The summer signing has quietly become a key cog in Amorim’s machine since his difficult start to life in red with his recent sickness coinciding with the team going on a three-match losing run.
De Ligt has become a mainstay at the heart of United’s defence
Since his return, the Red Devils have produced a far more defensively-astute display, last weekend away against Liverpool and now Arsenal.
From his signing being criticised as yet another ex-Ajax star to now being almost a permanent fixture in the starting line-up, De Ligt has certainly answered his critics.
He started on the right-side of the back three but ended in the middle as Harry Maguire was forced off with injury. Amorim will need the Dutchman even more, especially if the England international is sidelined due to injury.
The incredible win set-up a reunion with Ruud van Nistelrooy and his Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round with the former United interim boss keen to send a message to both INEOS and Amorim for parting ways with him.
Feature image Alex Pantling via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
