Manchester United advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup after defeating Arsenal 4-2 in a penalty shootout, following a thrilling 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The match was filled with drama, controversy, and outstanding goalkeeping displays.
The first half was underwhelming, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut scoring opportunities.
However, the game sprang to life in the 52nd minute when Bruno Fernandes curled a magnificent shot into the net from just inside the box.
The goal was set up by a brilliant run from Alejandro Garnacho, who beat several Arsenal defenders before laying the ball off to Fernandes.
The momentum shifted dramatically in Arsenal’s favor just 10 minutes later.
Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot, who had already been booked for a reckless challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly, received a second yellow card for another wild tackle, this time on Mikel Merino.
The Portuguese defender’s dismissal reduced United to 10 men, and Arsenal capitalized on the numerical advantage.
Two minutes after Dalot’s sending-off, Arsenal equalized through Gabriel.
The Brazilian defender’s shot took a wicked deflection off Matthijs de Ligt and past the helpless Altay Bayindir in the United goal.
The Gunners were now in the ascendancy, and they could have taken the lead when they were awarded a penalty after Kai Havertz went down under minimal contact from Harry Maguire.
However, Bayindir produced an incredible save to deny Martin Odegaard from the spot, keeping the score level at 1-1.
The Turkish goalkeeper’s heroics inspired his teammates, and United managed to hold on for the remainder of the match, despite being a man down.
The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, where Bayindir once again proved to be the hero.
He saved Havertz’s penalty, and Joshua Zirkzee stepped up to score the winning penalty, securing a 4-2 victory for Manchester United.
United’s reward for their hard-fought win is a home tie against Leicester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Red Devils will be looking to build on this momentum and make a deep run in the competition.
In other FA Cup news, Tottenham Hotspur were taken to extra time by non-league side Tamworth, while Manchester City thrashed Salford 8-0. Celtic also secured a convincing win, with Kyogo Furuhashi scoring twice in a 3-0 victory.