Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning penalty for 10-man Manchester United against Arsenal. (AP)
Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning penalty for 10-man Manchester United against Arsenal after their hectic FA Cup third round tie finished 1-1 after extra time at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz was the only one of the first four penalty takers to miss, denied by a brilliant stop from Altay Bayindir, before Zirkzee – booed off in a defeat by Newcastle United last month – stepped up to win the shootout 5-3.
After an underwhelming first half, United took the lead in the 52nd minute through Bruno Fernandes’ curling effort from just inside the box after a great run by Alejandro Garnacho.
Cool. Calm. Collected.
Joshua Zirkzee fires @ManUtd into the #EmiratesFACup fourth round! 💥 pic.twitter.com/0pOrgQHmQn
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 12, 2025
The game turned on its head 10 minutes later though, as United’s Diogo Dalot – already booked for a wild challenge on Myles Lewis-Skelly – received a second yellow card for a reckless tackle on Mikel Merino.
Two minutes later, Bayindir’s poor attempted punch fell at the feet of Gabriel, whose shot took a wicked deflection off Matthijs de Ligt and in to put the Gunners in charge of the tie.
Arsenal could have completed the comeback when they were awarded a questionable penalty after Havertz went down under minimal contact from Harry Maguire.
But Bayindir produced a superb save from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, before the Gunners spurned several chances to score a winner.
United will find out their opponent in the fourth round when the draw is made later on Sunday evening.
Discover the Benefits of Our Subscription!
Stay informed with access to our award-winning journalism.
Avoid misinformation with trusted, accurate reporting.
Make smarter decisions with insights that matter.
Choose your subscription package
