With Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson in the dugout, you were guaranteed blockbuster football, thrilling entertainment and two sides going at each other’s throats in search of success when Arsenal played Manchester United.
The games were arguably the biggest rivalry in English football just over 20 years ago, but it has certainly lost its edge as time goes on amid on-field struggles from both sides.
However, January 12, 2025 could be the date that all changes, the result of an FA Cup tie that saw United see off Arsenal on penalties after 120 minutes of action.
Altay Bayindir is the name that will be on the lips of United supporters, having saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in regulation time and made countless more extensive saves before denying Kai Havertz in the shootout.
How the game developed
The turbocharged atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium was surprisingly rewarded with a smooth and uneventful first half that saw Gabriel Jesus’ potentially serious knee. injury overshadow the proceedings.
Namesake Gabriel Martinelli’s disallowed goal just after quarter of an hour was the first incident of any kind – the Brazilian declared offside before sliding the ball into the back of the Bayindir net – but arsenaldespite being roared on by the home faithful, he couldn’t sustain any kind of momentum.
Odegaard looked bright in patches but struggled to pick apart a well-organised United defense who were comfortable against a Gunners side without the quality of Bukayo Saka on the right.
Kobbie Mainoo had United’s first effort on goal, forcing David Raya to get down smartly and keep out his 25-yard strike, before Lisandro Martinez was shown the first yellow card of the game after a challenge on Jesus, a union that may have indirectly led to his attack. posterior knee injury.
Bruno Fernandes was also booked for dissent, in response to a clash with Jesus that eventually saw the 27-year-old carted off on a stretcher with his shirt hiding the pain on his face.
The half-time analysis from Match of the Day trio Gary Lineker, Theo Walcott and Micah Richards, along with a cup of tea and McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestive, had barely been given time to go down before the game went start suddenly in life.
Alejandro Garnacho emerged from a 50/50 matchup with Gabriel on the halfway line with the ball and advanced into Arsenal territory. The Argentinian forward, he remembered how Amad Diallo was on the benchhe then played a pinpoint ball across the box past the onrushing fernandes, who produced a superb finish with his pass to send the 8,000 United traveling fans wild.
Arsenal were undoubtedly second best at the time, but Diogo Dalot’s sending off for a second yellow card – for a silly lunge on a loose ball – gifted the most successful team in the competition (14 wins ) a way back into the game. Dalot had barely gone down the tunnel before Gabriel Magalhaes equalised, the goal-loving centre-back capitalizing on a poor flick from Bayindir to fire home a low shot deflected off the boot of Matthijs de Ligt.
Bayindir then took center stage as his rather average performance in the first 70 minutes of the match was replaced by something resembling the early Peter Schmeichel.
First, after Harry Maguire was adjudged to have fouled Havertz in the penalty area, he deflected Odegaard’s penalty, before a wonderful header over the bar denied substitute Declan Rice. Havertz then inexplicably put the ball over the bar from close range as Arsenal tried to capitalize on their man advantage, with Rice also denied once again by Bayindir before the end of regulation time.
A fantastic clearance from De Ligt prevented substitute Leandro Trossard from scoring as extra time began, while at the other end Raya, a virtual spectator from Fernandes’ goal, got down brilliantly to save the substitute’s deflected shot Joshua Zirkzee. beginning of the second 15 minutes.
Neither team could find a winner, sending the game to penalties, and Bayindir was the hero again as he ensured Havertz had a game to remember for all the wrong reasons. United scored all five spot kicks, and Zirkzee was given the honor of sending the starters to the fourth round.
penalty shootout
Check Arsenal 1-1 Man Utd player ratings (3-5 penalties) here.
There is nothing better than a little controversy, especially when it comes to a heavyweight fight because two of the most successful clubs in England.
With the VAR not used in the third round of the FA Cupit was up to field officials to have the final say on every decision. And in the 17th minute of the match, it was decided to decide whether Gabriel Martinelli was offside or not before putting the ball into the back of the United net.
The Brazilian was a yard out, clearly, but the debatable element was whether Harry Maguire’s attempt to cut out Odegaard’s through ball was an attempt to play the ball or simply a deflection.
If it was the former, Martinelli would have been ruled on, but the assistant referee on the near side opted for the latter, much to the dismay of Mikel Arteta, who rang in the ear of the fourth official: “It’s not possible”.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard it was possible and the no-goal appeal was upheld.
Bayindir played 145 games in all competitions for Turkish giants Fenerbahce, certainly a large enough sample for United to decide whether or not to cut the mustard in England.
The 26-year-old was deliberately signed as Andre Onana’s back-up, but has featured just four times for the Red Devils, three of those appearances this season. Carabao Cup. Judging by his kicking ability – or distinct lack of it – and his initial void of aura whenever the ball entered the aerial area, he has work to do.
Indeed, if Amorim was keen to give Bayindir the benefit of the doubt for his disastrous footwork, he is unlikely to be so kind when addressing his flap from a cross that led straight to the Gabriel’s draw.
Nevertheless.
While all of the above was, well, bad, what he produced in the final 20 minutes of normal time was nothing short of spectacular. First, Bayindir got down to his left brilliantly to keep out Odegaard’s penalty, the first time the Norwegian has missed one in senior football, before showing cat reflexes to deny Declan Rice’s header . Yes, the England midfielder put it in his reach, but it was a super save.
Bayindir then set up Havertz to deflect the ball over the bar in the dying embers, again denying Rice with a left-footed effort onto the post.
In the shootout, he guessed the right way to deny Havertz once again: go from zero to hero in the blink of an eye.
There was a time when Harry Maguire’s Manchester United career looked to be over. Out of the team and out of chances, he was still reeling from his high salary.
But in Amorim’s familiar back-three system, a formation Maguire starred in for Gareth Southgate while playing for England, the 31-year-old looks right at home. Flanked by De Ligt and MartÃnez, he made nine defensive actions in the first half alone, cleared the ball five times and won four of the four duels he played. He also rose like a salmon to clear his head on four occasions.
The second half was more of the same, he cleared the ball from United’s penalty area on numerous occasions, and was extremely unfortunate to concede a penalty during the most minute contact with Havertz. Leny Yoro is waiting to become a regular in the United team, but it’s hard to argue against Maguire’s inclusion when he’s playing at this level.
make no mistake, arsenal they are a completely different side without Bukayo Saka.
To say they are bereft of ideas without the 23-year-old might be a bit extreme, but it’s undeniable that most attacks look like they will stop without his invention, ability to hit a man inside or outside, or the his quality of the moment on the ball.
Things only really improved in the chance creation department after Dalot’s red card, which allowed Arteta’s side more space and freedom to create overloads. And without wanting to sound like a broken record, they’re missing that one player with killer instinct in front of goal: Odegaard’s shy effort from the spot and Havertz’s odd late miss before extra time, more evidence of what they’re missing .
Alexander Isak is the only one, although as Arsenal pocket £150m it is well above this writer’s pay grade.
