By Njoku Chijioke
Manchester United edged past Arsenal in a thrilling FA Cup third-round match, winning 5-3 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1 after extra time.
The Red Devils’ victory was all the more impressive given that they played almost half the match with 10 men, following Diogo Dalot’s sending off in the 62nd minute.
Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for Manchester United in the 52nd minute, but Arsenal equalized just over 10 minutes later through Gabriel’s acrobatic finish. Despite being down to 10 men, United’s defense held strong, and the match ultimately went to a penalty shootout .
In the shootout, Manchester United’s goalkeeper Altay Bayindir proved to be the hero, saving Kai Havertz’s penalty to give his side the advantage. Joshua Zirkzee then scored the winning penalty to send United through to the next round.
The victory sets up a fourth-round tie for Manchester United against Leicester City, while Arsenal’s FA Cup campaign comes to an end.
The defeat adds to Arsenal’s recent woes, following their 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semifinals .
