Joshua Zirkzee had heard his name chanted to the Emirates Stadium rafters by the travelling Manchester United fans when he was introduced as a substitute. There has been a concerted effort by them to build a few bridges after what happened against Newcastle at the end of December: Zirkzee applauded off after his 33rd minute withdrawal, a shattering low.
When the full-time whistle went here, this FA Cupthird round tie locked at 1-1, Zirkzee turned towards the United support to whip them up. The connection had been restored. And it simply had to be Zirkzee who stepped forward at the end of the shootout with the kick to win it.
The second half of normal time had flashed by, Bruno Fernandes scoring for United, Gabriel Magalhães equalising for Arsenal after the visitors had seen Diogo Dalot sent off in the 62nd minute. Arsenal blew the chance for 2-1 when Martin Ødegaard had a penalty saved by Altay Bayindir, whom Ruben Amorim had preferred to his first-choice goalkeeper, André Onana. Bayindir would make a couple of fine saves at the end of regulation time.
What a call it was by Amorim to give Zirkzee the fifth penalty. Everybody had scored apart from Kai Havertz, second up for Arsenal, the German’s kick lacking power and Bayindir springing low to his left to turn it away. It was a day Bayindir will never forget, especially after the nightmare of his previous performance in the Carabao Cup quarter-final exit at Tottenham.
Now for Zirkzee and a moment of near perfect narrative. When he buried his kick into the bottom corner, the United support would sing his name again. With real feeling. United seemed to trade exclusively in drama on their way to winning the Cup last season. They are up and running once more.
The first half of normal time had been a virtual nonevent; a vivid contrast to what unfolded thereafter. It was Fernandes who lit the touchpaper on 52 minutes and what a finish it was. Alejandro Garnacho, who started ahead of Amad Diallo, crossed low from the right after getting the break in a one-on-one with Gabriel and the assist was bouncing, not rolled smoothly. Fernandes made it look simple, the technique so easy on the eye, the first-time shot shaped unerringly into the far, top corner.
The gauntlet was laid down to Arsenal, United reinforcing it with their physicality. Yellow cards fluttered in their direction. Dalot had got his first for a foul on Myles Lewis-Skelly after he was caught on the wrong side and he was playing with fire when he leapt into a 50-50 with Mikel Merino. He got nothing of the ball and when Merino took flight, it was a fait accompli for the referee, Andrew Madley, who had a hugely testing afternoon.
United were bitterly upset with that decision. There would be worse to come for them. Havertz had sliced wide when well placed in the 54th minute and Arsenal turned the screw against the 10 men, Gabriel lashing home equaliser on the half-turn after Bayindir could not get distance on a clearing punch. Gabriel was aided by a deflection off Matthijs de Ligt.
Now came the controversy. Harry Maguire, a tower of strength at the back for United, looked to have stood his ground against Havertz, putting out an arm at worst. Havertz, though, went into it and tumbled over, United incandescent when Madley pointed to the spot.
A melee broke out, fury everywhere; a few head-to-head confrontations, including Manuel Ugarte against Havertz, who again went down. Ødegaard was forced to wait to take the penalty and when the captain went to Bayindir’s left, he found that the goalkeeper had read him.
It was a fabulous save and Bayindir was not finished there. He tipped over a header from Declan Rice, who had come on as a substitute and, at the very end of normal time, the goalkeeper got something to another Rice effort, this one from an angle on the left, smuggling it past the far post.
In between times, Havertz had lifted high from point-blank range after getting in behind Fernandes; he looked to have got away with a handball in the process. No video assistant referee, remember. Maybe Madley could have benefited from the help.
The spectacle had been undermined in the first half of regulation time by the tedious wrestling matches that broke out on Arsenal corners; when the home team delayed the taking of them, it only prolonged the messiness. Is this what football has become? Madley had his work cut out, mainly to decide who was faking what.
United’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool last Sunday had hardly righted the numerous wrongs of recent weeks, accumulated over the run of six defeats in eight matches. But it had changed the feel of things for the travelling supporters, meaning the usual burst of pre-match optimism was more charged. Those fans would buckle up for an emotional ride. Everybody did.
Mikel Arteta had tweaked his Arsenal XI. It was bold to make do without Rice and Thomas Partey at the outset, Merino and Jorginho stepping into midfield. Rice is not 100% fit. Gabriel Jesus came in on the right wing but he was forced off after pretty much the only noteworthy incident of the first half. On came Raheem Sterling, who would struggle sorely.
When Noussair Mazraoui cut back from the right, Fernandes had the position on Jesus on the edge of the area and, shaping to shoot, he felt him nibble at him. Fernandes lost his boot in the incident but Madley said no foul, much to the United captain’s fury. When Fernandes collected his boot, he threw it down and was booked. Jesus, however, had jarred something in making the challenge and he was taken away on a stretcher.
Amorim stuck with his back three after Dalot’s dismissal, which was more like a five with the wing-backs holding tight and he mixed and matched as the game wore on, finishing with Lisandro Martínez in the centre-forward position.
Arsenal thought they had scored in the first period of extra-time when Havertz crossed for the substitute Leandro Trossard, only for De Ligt to make a sensational clearance from under his own crossbar. Back came United in the final period. Zirkzee went close with a sidefoot that deflected wide while Diallo was off target with a header.
