Manchester United trio praised for “absolutely fantastic” displays against Arsenal

Three Manchester United players have been praised for their brilliant performances as they knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup.

Manchester United secured themselves a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup after a penalty shootout saw Rúben Amorim’s men secure a victory over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The fixture started with Arsenal retaining the majority of possession, although United grew into the fixture before half-time. Gabriel Martinelli had the ball in the back of the net after 20 minutes but was ruled offside, much to the dismay of the home crowd.

In the second half, Bruno Fernandes finished with brilliant flair as he fired Alejandro Garnacho’s assist past David Raya after eight minutes.

But with 30 minutes to play, Diogo Dalot found himself sent off after two yellow cards, and Gabriel Magalhães fired home an equaliser just minutes later. Arsenal were then gifted a penalty following a foul on Kai Havertz, but Altay Bayındır denied Martin Odegaard from the spot with 20 minutes to play.

With neither side able to secure a win in 90 minutes, the teams headed into extra time, and after another series of misses from Arsenal combined with brilliant defensive work from United, the game headed to a penalty shootout.

All five of United’s players dispatched their efforts while Bayındır turned hero again, denying Havertz, with United winning 5-4 on penalties and booking themselves a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

Three United stars praised vs Arsenal by Shearer

Speaking as Harry Maguire was substituted just before the break in extra time, Alan Shearer chose to single out United’s defence for their performances.

In particular, the former Premier League striker highlighted Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, and Lisandro Martínez for their displays in the back three.

“Harry Maguire has been absolutely fantastic this afternoon,” the 54-year-old said.

“Him and De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, when they have had to defend they have done so really, really well.

“They have been up against it for large parts of this game. Maguire in particular, and de Ligt have been superb.”

It’s a huge result for United, and fans will be hoping that the side can kick on from now after a poor end of 2024.

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