15 touches, 100% tackles – Manchester United star is now in Rúben Amorim’s plans after “crazy” Arsenal cameo

Manchester United’s FA Cup victory over Arsenal proves that a new star has forced his way into Rúben Amorim’s plans for the rest of this season.

Manchester United earned their spot in the FA Cup fourth round after a nail-biting penalty shootout win over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

Arsenal started on the front foot, controlling much of the possession in the first half. Gabriel Martinelli thought he had put the Gunners ahead after 20 minutes, but his goal was disallowed for offside, leaving the home fans deflated.

United gradually found their rhythm, and just eight minutes into the second half, Bruno Fernandes broke the deadlock with a sublime finish. The Portuguese maestro latched onto a perfectly placed assist from Alejandro Garnacho, rifling the ball past David Raya.

The momentum shifted dramatically with half an hour left. Diogo Dalot was sent off after picking up a second yellow card, and Arsenal capitalised soon after as Gabriel Magalhães smashed home the equaliser

Arsenal were handed another golden opportunity to take the lead when Kai Havertz won a penalty, but Altay Bayındır made a crucial save to deny Martin Ødegaard.

Neither side could find a winner in normal or extra time, setting up a tense penalty shootout. United’s players were ice-cool from the spot, converting all five of their attempts. Bayındır once again proved decisive, saving Havertz’s penalty to clinch a 5-4 victory and ensure United’s progression to the next round.

Collyer has forced his way into Amorim’s plans

Many have missed a very subtle point in the aftermath of United’s win: Toby Collyer was the man to replace Kobbie Mainoo with ten minutes to play on Sunday afternoon, playing his first minutes under Amorim.

While this in itself is not a ground-breaking move, the fact Amorim chose to throw on Collyer over Casemiro or Christian Eriksen, who sat on the bench together all afternoon, is significant.

This clearly shows that Amorim is starting to value Collyer over either of the experienced midfielders, with Collyer now forcing his way into Amorim’s plans after returning from injury last month.

Collyer went on to have a fantastic fixture as the tie went into extra time and then penalties, with the 21-year-old drawing praise from fans, with one explaining that it’s “crazy” how well the Academy player can cover ground.

In his 39 minutes, Collyer had 15 touches, playing one pass into the final third and winning a much-needed foul to stop an Arsenal counter-attack late on.

He also won the only tackle he went in for, made three clearances and one recovery, also winning three of his seven attempted duels while under vast pressure from the Premier League title challengers.

With Eriksen and Casemiro set to depart in the coming months, Collyer is in the perfect position to cement himself as a first-team player at Old Trafford properly.

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