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“If Zirkzee scores, we’re on the pitch,” the Manchester United fans promised. He did. They tried.
Thirteen days after Zirkzee was heckled by thousands of United fans inside Old Trafford and ran away from them, he charged towards them. Moments before United’s penalty shootout victory, Zirkzee turned to them and played cheerleader. He led the cheers.
United players and staff chased after Zirkzee. Whatever else his time at United holds, Zirkzee will always have a winner against Arsenal.
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This was another ten-man United triumph against Arsenal in the FA Cup 26 years on from the Treble winners at Villa Park. Arsenal fans chant about wearing a yellow ribbon in May but it is the scarlet of United that could decorate Wembley Way come the end of the season.
This was the highlight of the Ruben Amorim era. The remainder of their domestic season will not be restricted to ensuring a respectable finish in the Premier League table.
Look beyond that table and Amorim has wins at Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as a creditable draw at Anfield. His United is starting to take shape.
There was another unlikely hero in Altay Bayindir. His promised recall filled many United fans with dread. Bayindir cost them in the League Cup but sent them through in the FA Cup.
He played the Peter Schmeichel role and Martin Odegaard Dennis Bergkamp for the vital penalty kick in the 72nd minute. Come the shootout, Bayindir and nearly 8,000 United fans deterred the jittery Kai Havertz, who failed with Arsenal’s second spotkick.
Bayindir was conversing with the United physio, David Binningsley, moments before the teams emerged from the tunnel. If he requested a courage pill after his previous performance it did the trick. Come the start of extra time, Bayindir was so confident he was doubling as a cheerleader in front of the United followers. Zirkzee did likewise ahead of the shootout.
After a tedious and tepid first half, the second was the polar opposite. Goals, a red card, a saved penalty and incidents in the stands. At one stage, United fans were so incensed by the alleged behaviour of Arsenal fans above them they were not watching the match.
Until Odegaard failed from 12 yards, there was some familiar fare from United. They conceded seven minutes after going 1-0 up at Arsenal two seasons ago and one minute last season. This time, it was 11 minutes and another collapse beckoned. This was exacerbated by an overzealous lunge by the booked Diogo Dalot that ensured he would then see cards yellow and red.
Backed vociferously by nearly 8,000 travelling fans, United displayed gutsy resilience and did not fold. Declan Rice and Kai Havertz reprieved them when the goal was at their mercy.
Amad teed up Zirkzee for a clear sight of goal. Zirkzee had two sighters but shot unconvincingly both times.
It is safe to say Andrew Madley is not even the best referee in his family. “Fergie’s right, the refs are s***e,” hollered the United supporters. They have a point.
Madley’s awful officiating was exposed without the Video Assistant Referee to spare him as the technology is not in use in the FA Cup third round out of fairness to lower-league clubs. There were dodgy bookings and decision-making so awry that Madley may have a case of myopia.
He is fortunate that enough time had passed after his contentious call to penalise Harry Maguire for a challenge on Kai Havertz inside the area. Another penalty decided this tense tie.
There were so many stoppages it gave the illusion VAR was in use. Madley reminded everyone as late as the 109th minute of his incompetence, deeming Toby Collyer to have committed a foul. Those on the United bench were literally up in arms.
“Don’t forget to put in your report we had ten men and they had 12,” one United fan advised. “United are back,” his jubilant friend yelled. Others were still spitting feathers about Madley.
Amad, not starting due to a minor injury, reaffirmed his status as the team’s talisman, making some things happen out of nothing. His proactive play got ten-men United up the other end more than once.
Maguire, sarcastically cheered by Arsenal fans upon his introduction last season, earned a standing ovation from United supporters. Lisandro Martinez, prone after stretching to block a shot, rose to his feet amid the rallying cry of ‘Argentina’. Matthijs de Ligt wildly celebrated a goal-saving block from inside the goal. Collyer’s commitment drew shouts of approval.
There was a stirring chorus of “United, United, United” as the clock passed the 105th minute. With the two-hour mark in sight, there was a long and hearty rendition of ‘Amorim’s red and white army’. Amorim stopped the United physios from entering the pitch to treat Noussair Mazraoui, loath to be reduced to nine men for a matter of seconds. The durable Mazraoui got back to his feet quickly.
Amorim did not rejig United immediately after Dalot’s expulsion. Amad was ready in his kit on the touchline at 1-0. His entrance was delayed by Gabriel Magalhaes’ equaliser.
When Amad eventually came on 20 minutes later, the winger was joined by Zirkzee and Collyer, the latter appearing for the first time since his stint at left back against Barnsley nearly four months ago.
Come the final kick of the two hours, Martinez was up front, Collyer on the right wing and Zirkzee on the left. Martinez unflappably scored his penalty. So did Leny Yoro.
Amorim’s assistant, Carlos Fernandes, bought some extra time by nodding the bouncing ball away from the Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, keen to keep it in play. United supporters lapped that up.
United defended Arsenal’s first set piece so successfully the linesman raised his flag. Dalot and Martinez were perfecting the defensive line early on and Amorim was so fastidious about its positioning he had to be ushered back into his technical area in the seventh minute.
He showed admirable restraint not to vent at referee Madley. Bruno Fernandes was so clearly fouled by Gabriel Jesus that the former City striker had to be carried off on a stretcher. Madley did not give a foul.
Fernandes threw his boot to the ground. Twice. A petty act that resulted in a booking. Madley had already harshly cautioned Martinez for an arm into the mush of Jesus, who milked the contact. His removal was cheered by the United followers, who welcomed Raheem Sterling with a “City reject” jibe.
On this occasion, Fernandes, dismissed three times this term, channelled that frustration and the most productive contribution possible with a vintage counter-attacking United goal at the Emirates, a homage to Ronaldo and Rooney. Selflessly, Fernandes turned to the United supporters and pointed to Garnacho.
Fernandes highlighted how vexed Garnacho was by one loudmouth’s jibe outside Old Trafford a couple of months ago. This was the winger’s first start in eight matches and first since he was ordered to train at Carrington rather than prepare for a Manchester derby.
This was the Garnacho of last season, running down the wing, making United sing, as his chant goes. Unlike Zirkzee’s bobbly cut-back for Maguire, Garnacho’s was a polished pass.
7,956 United supporters occupied an away end that stretched all the way round to the press box. There was the scandalous sight of two empty blocks in the upper tier as Arsenal and the Football Association had denied United their entitled allocation of 9,000 tickets.
After Gabriel had equalised, some United supporters made stewards aware of an Arsenal fan who had spat on them from the second tier. The Emirates staff passed the message on, having identified the alleged transgressor.
They went through their repertoire of Arsenal-related chants: Robin van Persie, Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, Bertie Mee. “Same old Arsenal, always cheating” was dusted amid some generous officiating towards the home side. “So bad, this ref. So biased,” one quipped en route to the concourse at half-time.
Bayindir hooked four punts straight into touch with aim as errant as an amateur golfer’s. Amorim did not conceal his dismay though swiftly offered some encouraging applause.
United abandoned the hoiks and went short. Arsenal’s press forced the error, they regained the ball and United’s last line of defence was so deep they were quickly penned in. That is not how they played when a man light.
And Bayindir had no problem with the ball coming at him.