Match Coverage
Ruben Amorim and Mikel Arteta disagree on one thing after Manchester United knocked Arsenal out of FA Cup
Ruben Amorim and Mikel Arteta both had different verdicts on the FA Cup clash between Manchester United and Arsenal on Sunday.
Manchester United secured a dramatic FA Cup third-round victory over Arsenal on penalties at the Emirates Stadium.
Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring early in the second half with a brilliant finish, but the game shifted when Diogo Dalot was sent off, and Arsenal quickly equalised.
A controversial penalty was awarded to Arsenal after Kai Havertz went down under minimal contact from Harry Maguire, but Altay Bayindir made a crucial save to deny the spot kick.
After 120 minutes of hard-fought action, the Turkish goalkeeper saved Havertz’s penalty in the shootout, while all five United takers converted, sealing their place in the next round.
Arteta and Amorim disagree about FA Cup clash
Mikel Arteta came out of the game with a clear stance, saying that his team were unfortunate to lose because of their dominance on the ball. He did not speak much about the referee.
The Spaniard suggested that it was “incredible” that his side were knocked out of the competition and seemingly dismissed the work of his opposition.
“Incredible how we don’t win that game,” the Arsenal manager told reporters. “The dominance and superiority in relation to the opposition. We didn’t get what we deserved.”
Ruben Amorim’s assessment, on the other hand, was much more fair and realistic. The United manager recognised the on-ball dominance from Arsenal but explained that the “sacrifice” from his players in terms of work-rate and heart showed that United deserved the victory.
“We were facing a great team and it was not just 90 minutes, it was more than that and then you feel like the players are really tired,” said Amorim.
“They put in new players, they controlled the ball all the time, it was a sacrifice for my players. But we deserved to pass through this round because we suffered all together and we showed character and that’s a very important thing.”
Arsenal game shows what United fans want from their team
It is pretty simple in the end. United’s supporters feed off of the kind of energy, grit and desire which was on display against The Gunners.
The penalty shootout could have easily ended in defeat, but there would have been few complaints from a fanbase which saw the players leave everything on the pitch.
That is the standard and something we need to see against Southampton and Ipswich Town alongside those games with Liverpool and Arsenal.
Read More: Manchester United trio praised for “absolutely fantastic” displays against Arsenal
After that, further developments with Amorim’s tactics, player quality and other aspects can be expected. But, for now, that is what fans want to see.
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