Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left stunned as his team dominated possession and created several scoring chances but failed to capitalize on their opportunities.
Manchester United eliminated Arsenal from the FA Cup third-round, despite being reduced to 10 men in a dramatic penalty shootout.
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Bruno Fernandez giving United the lead before Gabriel equalized for Arsenal. United’s Diogo Dalot recieved a second yellow card, leaving the Red Devils to play much of the game with 10 men.
Arsenal had a chance to take the lead when awarded a penalty , but captain Martin Odegaard’s spot-kick was saved by Altay Bayindir. The United goalkeeper emerged as the hero again in the shootout, denying Kai Havertz to secure his team’s position.
Havertz who also missed a clear chance late in normal time, was one of several Arsenal players left frustrated by their inability to convert dominance into goals.
Reacting to the defeat, Arteta expressed disbelief, “Incredible how you don’t win the game. The dominance, the superiority in relation to the opposition and everything that we did to try to win the game and that’s it. We didn’t get what we deserved clearly, but there is an element that is about putting the ball in the back of the net.
“We did it once and with the amount of situations, chances, penalties that we had we didn’t (again). We go home extremely sad but I cannot be prouder of my players,” Arteta said via Reuters.
Arsenal, who recently closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool during a 10-game unbeaten run, have now suffered back-to-back cup defeats, including a 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg.
Despite the setbacks, Arteta downplayed concerns about added pressure, focusing on their upcoming Premier League clash against rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates on Wednesday.
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