ALTAY Bayindir was Manchester United’s unlikely hero as the holders held out for over an hour a man down to knock Arsenal out the FA Cup on penalties after a feisty 1-1 draw at the Emirates on Sunday.
United’s stand-in goalkeeper saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time and then denied Kai Havertz in the shootout as the wasteful Gunners had another day to forget in front of goal.
Bruno Fernandes had fired the visitors into the lead early in the second half before Diogo Dalot was sent-off on the hour mark for a second bookable offence.
Gabriel Magalhaes quickly levelled for Arsenal, but they wasted a host of chances to win the tie in 90 minutes and were made to pay.
United were perfect from the spot as the much-criticised Josua Zirkzee stroked home the winning penalty in front of the jubilant travelling support.
Defeat is another hammer blow to Mikel Arteta’s attempts to end a five-year trophy drought for Arsenal, who also lost the first leg of their League Cup semi-final 2-0 to Newcastle on Tuesday.
After four consecutive defeats in all competitions, United were much improved in a 2-2 draw away at Premier League leaders Liverpool last weekend.
Ruben Amorim’s game plan appeared a similar one as the Red Devils were happy to sit back and contain Arsenal before looking to spring on the counter-attack.
However, neither side posed much attacking threat in a flat first half.
If the first 45 minutes lacked action, the second period more than compensated.
Alejandro Garnacho took advantage of a slip by Gabriel to gallop into Arsenal territory and teed up Fernandes to blast brilliantly into the top corner.
Shorn of the injured Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s attack has lacked creativity and goal threat in recent weeks.
But just as United were beginning to believe they could deliver another result on the road for Amorim, they were let down by Dalot’s indiscipline.
The Portuguese full-back needlessly dived in on Mikel Merino when already on a booking and was swiftly shown a second yellow card by referee Andy Madley.
Within seconds Arsenal had made the man advantage count.
Bayindir flapped at Martinelli’s cross and punched the ball into the path of the Brazilian centre-back, whose shot deflected in off Matthijs de Ligt.
The home side were gifted the chance to turn the tie around when Harry Maguire was harshly penalised for a challenge on Havertz which sparked a melee among both sets of players.
Maguire angrily shouted “cheat” towards Havertz, who then went head-to-head with Manuel Ugarte.
But if Bayindir was partly culpable for the Arsenal equaliser, the Turkish international made amends with a brilliant save to turn Odegaard’s penalty behind.
Arteta’s men could even have lost it in extra-time as David Raya was required to make a fine save low to his right from Zirkzee’s deflected effort.
But Raya was powerless to deny Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez and Zirkzee from the spot to send United through.