“I have returned the Man of the match award to him, he was our hero today…I’ve never seen such performance from any player in my whole life”: Man United’s midfielder Bruno Fernandes named ONE Man United’s player who shocked him with a terrific performance against Arsenal
Manchester United kickstarted their defence of the FA Cup with a penalty shootout victory over Arsenal.
Sunday’s clash saw the current FA Cup champions face Arsenal – the side who have won the competition the most times.
Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as Manchester United head coach came against Arsenal in North London at the start of December, but his side showed how much they have progressed in the last month.
After a fairly quiet first half, the game burst into life after the break with Bruno Fernandes opening the scoring. Referee Andrew Madley then sent off Diogo Dalot before Gabriel equalised for the hosts seconds later.
United held on to take the game to extra time, but even after an extra 30 minutes, the two sides could not be separated. The Red Devils went on to win a dramatic penalty shootout to book their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Altay Bayindir’s redemption
Before the Arsenal match, Amorim confirmed Altay Bayindir would start in goal ahead of Andre Onana.
Despite Bayindir’s terrible performance against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, Amorim has kept faith with the 26-year-old and trusted him against the Gunners.
Altay Bayindir started poorly by giving away possession too often, but he stepped up and delivered a fantastic penalty save to deny Arsenal in the second half. The Turkey international then produced several world-class saves, including in the penalty shootout.
It is an important month for Bayindir’s future at United.
Man United improve at set pieces
In their last meeting, United lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the Premier League with the Gunners scoring twice from corners.
Amorim urged United to improve at set pieces after that match, with the Portuguese coach insisting his side needed to work on their defending.
Arsenal once again played for set pieces here but United coped much better. It is just further proof that Amorim’s coaching is paying off.
Marcus Rashford nowhere to be seen
Marcus Rashford has now missed seven consecutive games after being dropped by Amorim against Manchester City.
If there was a time for Rashford to return, a cup clash against Arsenal seemed to be the perfect opportunity, yet Amorim once again made the decision to leave him out.
An exit now looks inevitable, especially with AC Milan closing in on Rashford after talks were held with his agent this week.
Alejandro Garnacho impresses
While Rashford now looks likely to leave, Alejandro Garnacho has fought his way back into Amorim’s plans after also missing out on the Manchester derby.
There have been reports this week that clubs have contacted United over Garnacho, but Amorim has made it clear that he still has a future at United.
After setting up Fernandes for the opener, Garnacho now has eight goals and five assists in all competitions this season. He is on track for his most productive season yet.
Diogo Dalot suspended
Certainly not for the first time this season, United faced a red card with Diogo Dalot sent off for picking up two yellow cards.
Everything was going according to plan before Dalot harshly received a second yellow for a tackle near the dugout.
Amorim now has a selection headache with Dalot now suspended for the Premier League clash against Southampton on Thursday evening.
Ruben Amorim’s mad dog
After taking over at United, Amorim demanded played run like “mad dogs” and that command was followed by every player on the pitch against Arsenal.
Especially after the red card, United faced relentless pressure but the mentality and attitude of players was spectacular.
United continued to fight for every ball even well into extra time. Amorim questioned his player’s mentality after the Liverpool draw but the Portuguese boss – and United fans – have plenty to be proud about.
