Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning penalty for 10-man Manchester United against Arsenal after their pulsating FA Cup third-round tie finished 1-1 after extra time at the Emirates Stadium.
Bruno Fernandes put United in the lead seven minutes after the break, smashing in a good pass from Alejandro Garnacho. Soon after, United went a man down as Diogo Dalot was sent off after committing a second bookable offence. Gabriel Magalhaes restored parity just two minutes later.
Both teams had chances but couldn’t find the back of the net, necessitating a penalty shootout.
Altay Bayindir denied Kai Havertz, having also saved Martin Odegaard’s penalty kick during the second half. United are now through to the fourth round, where they will come up against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City.
United had just 29% possession to Arsenal’s 71% share of the ball.
Ruben Amorim’s men managed four shots on target from their total seven cracks at goal. The hosts, on the other hand, fired 26 shots, with seven of them requiring Bayindir to intervene.
United put together 291 passes with a pass accuracy of 69%. The Gunners strung 656 passes with a completion rate of 87%.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
One of United’s best performers was Fernandes.
Beyond his goal, the Skipper touched the ball 50 times and won 100% of the tackles he delved into.
He launched 12 long passes and delivered an impressive seven passes into the final third. Fernandes made six ball recoveries.
The midfielder attempted five take-ons, completing four of them.
He also made two clearances.
Bruno Fernandes’ game by numbers vs. Arsenal:
100% tackles won
50 total touches
12 long passses
7 passes into the final third
6 ball recoveries
5 attempted take-ons
4 successful take-ons
2 crosses
2 goals (including the shootout)Magnifico. 🎩 pic.twitter.com/EEuSWzK6GH
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 12, 2025
It was another sensational display from the Portugal international, who seems to be enjoying life under Ruben Amorim.
United are back in action later this week on Thursday when they host Southampton at Old Trafford. Kick-off is at 20:00 GMT.
Featured image Alex Pantling via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
