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With Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson in the dugout, when Arsenal played Manchester United you were guaranteed box office football, exciting entertainment and two sides going at each other’s throats in search of success.
The fixture was arguably English football’s greatest rivalry 20 years ago, but has arguably lost its edge as time has passed between on-field struggles for both sides.
However, January 12, 2025 could be the date where all that changes – the result of a barnstorming FA Cup tie in which United eliminated Arsenal on penalties after 120 minutes of action.
Altay Beindir is a name that will be on the lips of United supporters, having saved Martin Odegaard’s penalty in regulation and made numerous other breakaway stops before denying Kai Havertz in the shootout.
How the game unfolded
The turbo-charged atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium was rewarded with a surprisingly tame, lackluster first half that saw Gabriel Jesus suffer a potentially serious knee. an injury shadow action.
Namesake Gabriel Martinelli’s disallowed goal after the quarter-hour mark was the first incident of any note – the Brazilian ruled offside before sliding the ball into the back of Bayandir’s net – but ArmoryDespite being roared on by the home faithful, failed to sustain any sort of momentum.
Odegaard looked brilliant in patches but struggled to unpick a well-organised United defense that was comfortable against a Gunners side lacking the quality of Bukayo Saka on the right.
Coby Maino scored United’s first effort on goal, forcing David Ryan to get down smartly and keep out his 25-yard strike, before Lisandro Martinez was shown his first yellow card of the game after a collision with Jesus – coming together It can indirectly cause it. Subsequent knee injury.
Bruno Fernandes was also booked for dissent, in response to a clash with Jesus that eventually left the 27-year-old on a stretcher with a shirt covering his face hiding the pain.
Match of the Day trio Gary Lineker, Theo Walcott and Micah Richards, a half-time analysis with a cup of tea and a McVittie’s milk chocolate digestif, barely allowed time to go down before the game suddenly sparkled into life.
Alejandro Garnacho came out of a 50/50 clash with Gabriel on the halfway line with the ball and into Arsenal territory. Argentina forward, Recalled when Amad Diallo was benchedThen for Fernandez, who was playing accurate balls across the area, he produced a terrific finish with his move to send the 8,000 traveling United supporters wild.
At the time, Arsenal were undoubtedly second best, but Diogo Daloton gifted the competition’s most successful side (14 wins) a second yellow card – for a silly lunge at a loose ball – back into the match. Dalot had barely gone down the tunnel before Gabriel Magalhas equalized – the goal-loving centre-back taking advantage of a weak byandre punch to fire home a low shot through the deflection of Matthijs de Ligt’s boot.
Bayandir then took center stage as his average performance in the first 70 minutes of the game resembled that of Peter Schmeichel.
First, after Harry Maguire was adjudged to have fouled Havertz in the penalty area, he palmed away Odegaard’s penalty, before substitute Declan Rice superbly tipped over the bar to deny him. Havertz then inexplicably put the ball over the bar from close range, as Arsenal looked to press their man advantage, Rice was also denied once more by Bayandir before the end of regulation time.
A superb last-gasp clearance from De Ligt prevented substitute Leandro Trossard from scoring as extra-time ticked away, while at the other end, Fernandes’ goal left a virtual spectator Raya, getting down superbly to save substitute Joshua Zirkzy’s deflected shot. Start of another 15 minutes.
Neither side could find a winner, sending the game to penalties, and Bayandir was again the hero as he ensured Havertz had a game to remember for all the wrong reasons. United scored all five of their spot-kicks, with Zirkzy doing the honors to send the holders through to the fourth round.
Penalty shootout
Check out the player ratings from Arsenal 1-1 Man Utd (3-5 Pen) here.
Nothing beats controversy, especially when it’s a heavyweight tussle as two of England’s most successful clubs.
VAR is not used in the third round of The FA CupThe final decision on each decision rested with the on-field officials. And in the 17th minute of the game, Gabriel Martinelli was ruled offside before he put the ball into the back of United’s net.
The Brazilian was a yard off, that much was clear, but the contentious element was whether Harry Maguire’s attempt to cut Odegaard through the ball was an attempt to play the ball or just a deflection.
If it had been the former, Martinelli would have been ruled offside, but the assistant referee on the nearest touchline opted for the latter – much to the dismay of Mikel Arteta as he whispered into the fourth official’s ear: “It’s not possible”.
Unfortunately, for the Spaniard, it was possible and a goal call arose.
Bayandir played 145 games in all competitions for Turkish giants Fenerbahce – surely a big sample for United to decide whether or not to cut the mustard in England.
The 26-year-old was deliberately signed as Andre Onana’s understudy but has featured just four times for the Red Devils – three of them coming this season. Carabao Cup. Depending on his kicking ability – or apparent lack thereof – and his initial aura vacuum, whenever the ball comes into the box aerially, he has a bit of work to do.
Indeed, if Amorim was keen to give Beindir the benefit of the doubt for his devastating display of footwork, it is unlikely he would have been so kind when addressing his flap from the cross which led straight to Gabriel’s equaliser.
However.
Despite all of the above, good, bad, what he produced in the final 20 minutes of normal time was nothing short of spectacular. First, Byandir got down brilliantly to his left to keep out Odegaard’s limp penalty – the first time he had missed one in Norwegian senior football – before he showed a cat-like reaction to deny Declan Rice’s point-blank header. Yes, the England midfielder put it within his reach, but it was a super stop nonetheless.
Bayandir then squeezed past Havertz to curl the ball over the bar in the dying embers, before again denying Rice by flicking his late left-footed effort around the post.
In the shootout, he figures out the right way to deny Havertz one more time – going from zero to hero in the blink of an eye.
There was a time when Harry Maguire’s Manchester United career looked to be winding down. Out of the team and out of opportunities, he was still beaten by his high pay packet.
But in Amorim’s familiar back-three system – Maguire starred for Gareth Southgate while playing for England – the 31-year-old looks at home. Along with de Ligt and Martinez, he made nine defensive actions in the first half alone, cleared the ball five times and won four of the four duels he contested. He rose like a salmon on four occasions.
The second half was more of the same, with the ball being cleared from United’s penalty on numerous occasions, and he was extremely unlucky to concede a penalty for the most minutes of contact with Havertz. Lenny Yoro is looking forward to becoming a regular in United’s squad, but it’s hard to argue against Maguire’s inclusion when he’s playing at this level.
Make no mistake about it, Armory Bukayo is a completely different side without Saka.
To say they are bereft of ideas without the 23-year-old is perhaps a bit extreme, but it is undeniable that most attacks grind to a grinding halt without his invention, ability to beat the man inside or out. Inspire the quality of the moment on the ball.
Things really improved in the chance creation department after Dalot’s red card, which gave Arteta’s side the freedom to create more space and overload. And without wishing to sound like a broken record, they lack a player with killer instinct in front of goal – Odegaard’s timid effort from the spot and Havertz’s curious late miss further evidence of what they’re missing before extra time.
Alexander Isak is one, although how Arsenal raise £150m is above this writer’s pay grade.
