Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was left shocked after watching his team exit the FA Cup in the third round against Manchester United via penalties.
Arsenal faced a nail-biting penalty shoot-out at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, January 12, after Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for Manchester United.
Following Diogo Dalot’s red card for United, Gabriel Magalhães quickly equalized for Arsenal. Despite having the numerical advantage for nearly an hour, the Gunners couldn’t capitalize further.
Arsenal’s captain, Martin Ødegaard, unfortunately missed a crucial penalty late in the match. Arsenal’s efforts of 26 shots showcased their determination, though Kai Havertz’s missed penalty in the shootout became the decisive moment, allowing Joshua Zirkzee to clinch victory for United.
“It’s unbelievable,” Arteta told the BBC following the defeat.
“Obviously, you measure the performance and what we did about the opposition; you know, you deserve to win the game by a mile.
“But the reality is we are out, and the only thing that’s going to be judged is that, but internally I can’t.
“I love my players. I love our team, and I love how good they are and what they do because, in 1,000 games, you should lose one, and probably it was this one. You have to understand this as well; it’s part of our industry, our game, and we move on because you don’t have time to dwell on it. On Wednesday, we have a massive one.”
In the aftermath, the draw for the FA Cup fourth round was conducted, revealing that United will face Leicester City next, while other exciting match-ups include Brighton against Chelsea and Plymouth Argyle taking on Liverpool.
