Two Manchester United stars played hidden crucial role in penalty shootout win vs Arsenal

Manchester United were flawless in the penalty shootout against Arsenal on Sunday as they progressed to the next round of the FA Cup.

Manchester United triumphed over Arsenal in a dramatic FA Cup third-round penalty shootout at the Emirates Stadium.

Bruno Fernandes scored a stunning opener early in the second half, but the match shifted when Diogo Dalot was sent off, leading to Arsenal’s equaliser.

A controversial penalty awarded for minimal contact on Kai Havertz was saved by Altay Bayindir, who later denied Havertz again in the shootout.

United’s five flawless penalties secured their place in the next round, with Joshua Zirkzee slotting away the winning spot kick.

Ugarte and Onana’s hidden roles before United penalty win

Bayindir provided the penalty save heroics on the night and he was helped by the support of his teammates.

The Atheltic journalist Carl Anka noted the roles of Manuel Ugarte and André Onana in the build up to the penalty shootout.

Onana was on the bench for the game and Ugarte had been subbed off in extra-time, but they both had important roles as cheerleaders to Bayindir ahead of the shootout.

“Before the penalty shootout, there was a little moment where [Manuel] Ugarte and [André] Onana were geeing up Bayindir,” Anka said on the Talk of the Devils podcast.

“[They were] proper pushing and shoving him, like, ‘You got this, you got this’, and I’m going this is good.

“This United team isn’t at the level of Amorim’s Sporting, but they are beginning to understand that if you graft really hard, it will come.”

This is what you want to hear about United

This is the exact kind of thing you want to hear about your team. Onana could have easily stayed in the background for one of the only games he wasn’t involved in for United.

But he and Bayindir have a great relationship and the Cameroon shot-stopper wanted to help his teammate in any way possible.

This team are not yet perfect tactically and are far from where Amorim wants them to be technically.

Read More: Ruben Amorim proven correct about ‘perfect’ Manchester United player after fan scepticism

Yet, in the end, you can take large strides forward with the right attitude and everyone working in the same direction.

Ugarte and Onana’s hidden role for the penalty shootout was small but far from insignificant, and it is an example of the things United need to keep doing.

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