Amorim finding leaders as United stun Arsenal in dramatic FA Cup clash

FINDING THEIR WAY: Manchester United's Harry Maguire acknowledges the fans, as he leaves the pitch after being substituted. Picture: by Julian Finney/Getty Images

Manchester United are through to the Fourth Round of The FA Cup after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory at Arsenal - but the green shoots of a long-awaited recovery may end up shimmering even brighter than the silverware they dream of.

This result was important for United as they bid to re-confirm themselves as contenders under Ruben Amorim, and they know there is a long, long way to go before they can overturn more than a decade of under-achievement since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

But after so many managers failed to solve the puzzle there is clearly something happening this time after goalkeeper Altay Bayindir inspired their triumph at the Emirates despite Diogo Dalot being sent off as early as the 61st minute United are a club so big they will always be judged on the trophies they win, of course; but there’s a lot more to this victory than a chance to get to Wembley again.

United fans demand character, they demand heroes and they want their side to be a giant that competes against every club in the world.

That’s why even winning the FA Cup wasn’t enough for Erik ten Hag or for Louis van Gaal, who lost their job having lifted the trophy.

That complexity, and a miserable 2024, has made it difficult for Amorim since he arrived from Portugal, winning only one of his first 12 games in change.

But this performance was not like ones that went before – and we’re saying that for the second time in eight days.

Last Sunday it was a credible draw at Anfield in the Premier League that suggested Amorim was finally making a difference. This time it was a very special victory in London.

Bayindir was the biggest hero. He saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time, made three other inspirational saves, including from Declan Rice in the 90th minute, and then saved from Kai Havertz in the shoot-out.

But there were others. Captain Bruno Fernandes scored a stunning opening goal and, together with defensive stalwarts Harry Maguire and Matthijs De Ligt, showed the kind of leadership and resolve that Amorim has been crying out for.

The team’s shape was clear, the formation solid, the pressing energetic.

So much so that even when Dalot was sent off for a second bookable offence – and Gabriel equalised for Arsenal – United never looked out of it.

Only a week after claiming his team have been starved of leaders for too long, Amorim suddenly found a pile of them here.

Maguire was the pick, and that’s quite a story.

The much-maligned centre-half has had a topsy-turvy time at the club in recent years and was on the verge of signing for West Ham in the last transfer window.

When that failed to materialise, he shouldered more blame for United’s poor performances instead as ten Hag paid the ultimate price.

With his contract due to expire this summer there was an assumption that the bit centre-half would leave on a free in June, only for Amorim, in need of leadership skills, to insist it was extended until June 2026.

At the Emirates, that looked a good decision with Maguire back to his old dominant self at the heart of a United back three, with De Ligt and Noussair Masraoui equally impressive in what became a hugely impressive performance as Arsenal’s stuttering attack was strangled.

If Amorim wanted a proper baptism into what football management is like in England, he’s certainly had the full experience in the last seven days, so this will be a game he never forgets.

Last weekend it was an impressive point in front of a full-throttle Kop at Anfield, defying critics who said his team would be pummelled.

Then he arrived at the Emirates for an even fiercer FA Cup tie against Arsenal, which as well as a red card and all those penalties featured an 18-player melee – and a reminder of what football looks like when VAR is not present.

Remarkably, after Arsenal dominated possession in the first half, it was United who went ahead through Fernandes.

The game appeared to turn when Dalot, already on a yellow card, slid into an ill-advised tackle on Martinelli on the halfway line, missed his man – and, inevitably, saw red. But United never flinched.

Gabriel did take advantage with a swift equaliser before Arsenal were handed a dubious penalty for a foul by Maguire, only Bayindir to make a quite remarkable save from Martin Odegaard.

With Bukayo Saka out injured, and Gabriel Jesus carried off on a stretcher before halftime, Arsenal are struggling to create the kind of opportunities that used to arrive in their numbers, and United thoroughly deserved to reach extra-time and, ultimately, penalties.

No wonder the 8,000 away fans who made the journey to North London stayed behind to give them a standing ovation. Do they, at last, have their United back? Whisper it, but it's finally looking possible.