Manchester United overcame Arsenal 5-3 in penalties following a thrilling 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round, despite playing with ten men. Meanwhile, Tottenham managed a 3-0 victory over non-league Tamworth in extra time on Sunday.
After losing 2-0 to Arsenal in the Premier League in December, the FA Cup holders United avenged that defeat in their return to the Emirates Stadium, building on last weekend’s commendable draw at Liverpool. Bruno Fernandes gave Ruben Amorim’s team the lead with a stunning strike from the edge of the area in the 52nd minute. However, United’s Diogo Dalot received a red card for his second booking after fouling Mikel Merino nine minutes later.
Gabriel Magalhaes scored the equalizer for Arsenal in the 63rd minute with a deflected shot. Yet, Arsenal missed a significant opportunity to lead when a soft challenge by Harry Maguire on Kai Havertz led to a penalty. Amidst a melee involving United’s Maguire, Manuel Ugarte, and several Arsenal players, Altay Bayindir saved Martin Odegaard’s penalty kick. Havertz later missed crucial chances, including one in the shootout, allowing Joshua Zirkzee to score the decisive penalty for United.
🚨🚨| Manchester United have knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup more times than any other club (9). pic.twitter.com/VzKRAXnijO
— centredevils. (@centredevils) January 12, 2025In contrast, Tottenham, ranked 12th in the Premier League and 96 places above Tamworth, narrowly avoided an embarrassing defeat against the fifth-tier team. Despite their full-time professional status, Tottenham struggled against a part-time Tamworth team that trains just twice a week, pushing the match into extra time. Nathan Tshikuna’s own goal and late goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson eventually secured Tottenham’s passage to the fourth round.
Tottenham’s coach, Ange Postecoglou, acknowledged the game’s difficulty but praised his team’s persistence on the challenging surface at Lamb Ground. Despite a season fraught with challenges, Tottenham’s recent victory against Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final keeps them in contention for a domestic cup double.
"Today he was our hero" 🙌
Ruben Amorim praised Altay Bayındır's performance as Manchester United knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on penalties 👇 pic.twitter.com/MuLQA3Rth7
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 12, 2025Tamworth’s coach, Andy Peaks, expressed disappointment over missing a chance for a historic upset, highlighting the commendable effort from his team against such highly ranked opponents.
In other matches, Newcastle extended their winning streak to eight in all competitions with a 3-1 win against fourth-tier Bromley. Despite Bromley’s early lead at St James’ Park, Newcastle quickly leveled and secured the win with goals from Anthony Gordon and Will Osula. Elsewhere, Crystal Palace secured a 1-0 victory over third-tier Stockport at Selhurst Park, while Ipswich triumphed 3-0 against Bristol Rovers at Portman Road.
