Manchester United’s five things noticed vs Arsenal as Altay Bayındır etches himself into the history books

Five things noticed as Manchester United knock Arsenal out on penalties during the FA Cup third round on Sunday afternoon.

Rúben Amorim chose to start Alejandro Garnacho in attack as Manchester United travelled to North London to face Arsenal in the FA Cup third round on Sunday afternoon.

The tie started with Arsenal retaining the majority of possession as United stood firm in front of Altay Bayındır’s goal. However, they were lucky to see a goal from Gabriel Martinelli ruled out for offside after 20 minutes.

Around the 30-minute mark, the tie started to heat up properly, with Arsenal looking to increase pressure on United, although Amorim’s men stood firm as the two sides went into the changing rooms at a half-time stalemate.

In the second half, although Arsenal continued to attack, United struck first, with the club capitalising on a lapse in concentration as Garnacho fed through Bruno Fernandes, who finished emphatically to send the visitors into the lead.

However, with 30 minutes to play, Diogo Dalot took a stupid risk and flew in on Martinelli while on a yellow card, missed the ball, and was duly sent off as he received his second yellow card of the night.

Gabriel Magalhães then hammered home an equalising effort via a big deflection of Matthijs de Ligt just minutes later, and suddenly, it was all to play for, with the home side having an extra man advantage.

Arsenal were then given a penalty after Harry Maguire was deemed to have brought down Kai Havertz (he didn’t), but Bayındır turned hero as he denied Martin Odegaard from the spot to keep the game level.

Although both sides were swinging for a winner, it could not be found within 90 minutes; the two sides, therefore, engaged in a further 30. Joshua Zirkzee came close, but as was the storyline of the afternoon, neither side could convert and the penalties dawned at the Emirates.

Bayındır caused the first upset, saving Havertz’s penalty, which was their second of the game, and with all five of United’s players disputing their own, it was Zirkzee who put the nail in the coffin for Arsenal as United dispatched the home side and found themselves into the fourth round of the competition.

#1 – Amorim settling on his perceived best XI

Ahead of the Liverpool and Arsenal ties, Amorim has had a full week to prepare with his players, and the only two changes in the XIs were due to an injury for Amad and a rest for André Onana, with Garnacho and Bayındır slotting in.

It’s clear that the manager is now settling on what he believes is his best starting line-up, and United were able to continue much of the patterns they showed last weekend.

These players have really started to buy into his idea, and their performances across the last two fixtures have shown this.

#2 – United’s organisation is improving

Much like the Liverpool fixture, United were able to organise themselves and hold their formation well in the first half as they frustrated Arsenal and did not let them through.

In the second half against Liverpool, the tie started to unfold in the second half, and against Arsenal it was almost the exact same pattern, with Fernandes kicking things off just like Lisandro Martínez did seven days ago.

When United went down to ten men, chaos ensued, but for the most part, the players calmed down and kept their composure and organisation, for which they must be given credit regardless of the result.

#3 – Garnacho is blocking out the noise

Against Arsenal, Garnacho was handed his first start in five weeks as Amorim chose to replace the half-injured Amad with the young forward.

Amid speculation surrounding his future, Garnacho looked calm and composed, and although he had a quiet first half, he provided his second assist in two games as Fernandes fired in the opening goal.

Once Dalot was sent off, Garnacho found himself with a lot more defensive responsibility and did well until he was substituted with ten minutes to play, Amad taking his place.

#4 – Bayındır deserves it more than anyone

When Amorim confirmed on Friday afternoon that Bayındır would start in goal ahead of Onana, many were apprehensive following his horror display against Tottenham Hotspur last month.

However, against Arsenal, he was the hero. Although his kicking was suspect at points, he was so much more commanding in his area, he made multiple fantastic saves, and, of course, denying Odegaard from the spot was a highlight during the fixture.

He stepped up once again with his save against Havertz during the shootout. His future is up for questioning, but regardless, he has etched himself into the history books for the club.

#5 – This squad is becoming likeable again

Earlier this season, and even during Amorim’s opening weeks, many United fans had dubbed this squad the least likeable bunch since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and potentially that the club has ever seen.

However, in London on Sunday afternoon, the players showed desire and fought not just for the club but for each other. Those in the defensive line were fantastic throughout the 120 minutes (apart from Dalot).

For all the criticism that was thrown at the players during the second half of 2024, they’ve more than proven that they should be given value at the club.

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