
KAI HAVERTZ squandered two prime chances and a penalty during the shoot-out, leading to Arsenal’s exit from the FA Cup.
The Gunners put in a strong effort but failed to score, even after extra time, against a Manchester United side reduced to 10 players.
The outcome worsened during the penalty shootout when Altay Bayindir denied Havertz’s shot.
Here’s how SunSport’s Kealan Hughes assessed the performances of the Arsenal players…
DAVID RAYA – 6
Had no chance with United’s goal and made a remarkable save to stop Zirkzee during extra time.
JURRIEN TIMBER – 7
Was effective with his overlapping runs and collaborated well with Odegaard.
Faced challenges from Alejandro Garnacho, who was dangerous on the counter-attack.
WILLIAM SALIBA – 7
Handled Hojlund effectively, although the striker posed little threat.
GABRIEL – 6
Made a critical mistake by losing the ball to Alejandro Garnacho, who assisted Bruno Fernandes for the goal.
Redeemed himself with a superb finish that could have earned Bukayo Saka’s admiration.
MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 5
Had a lackluster performance at left-back; he needed to be more involved offensively, especially after United went down to ten men and Garnacho moved to right-back.
JORGINHO – 5
Helped maintain stability in midfield and was a reliable option for his teammates.
MIKEL MERINO – 4
Had a mostly unnoticed presence in midfield. It’s tough to identify his contributions to the Arsenal side.
Missed a crucial chance to put his team ahead right after the equalizer and was substituted shortly afterward.
MARTIN ODEGAARD – 7
A pleasure to watch; he orchestrated the play and consistently created opportunities with his excellent ball control.
However, he missed a penalty that might have secured the match.
GABRIEL JESUS – 6
Delivered a lovely assist that set up Martinelli for a goal, which was unfortunately ruled offside.
Picked up an injury while defending a cross in the first half and had to be stretchered off.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7
Was the primary attacking threat in the first half, with his direct approach causing issues for the visitors.
Showed great movement and finished well, but his goal was disallowed for offside.
KAI HAVERTZ – 3
Earned a penalty after skillfully getting past Maguire.
However, he wasted two clear opportunities, including one just three minutes from the end that could have won the match, and his missed penalty proved decisive in the shoot-out.
SUBSTITUTES
Raheem Sterling (for Jesus, 40mins) – 6
Showed sharpness in possession and played a vital role in the build-up to Havertz’s penalty.
Declan Rice (for Merino, 73mins) – 6
Came close to scoring with what could have been his first touch, but his header was expertly saved.
Missed an opportunity to clinch the winner in the closing moments, as his low shot was again brilliantly saved by Bayindir.
Leandro Trossard (for Lewis-Skelly, extra-time) – 5
Will certainly regret his missed chance after Matthijs de Ligt made a crucial goalline clearance.
Sent a shot over the bar from just outside the penalty area.
Thomas Partey (for Timber, 101mins) – 5
Delivered several quality crosses and nearly scored with a deflected shot that went just over.
Kieran Tierney (for Jorginho, 113mins) –
Received a warm welcome when he entered the game but had little time to make an impact.