Arsenal 1

Man Utd 1 (United win on penalties)

This was s good old fashioned Arsenal vs United tie. With all the traditional ingredients, one must add. Goals, saved penalties, handbags, a red card and a scandalous referee to boot!!

Once again we showed great determination, which is something that gives me encouragement- and despite having to defend for some time, we are trying to be dangerous going forward when the opportunity arises. After a balanced first half, we took the lead with a great Bruno goal that was well served by Garnacho who had got away from the Arsenal defender after a mistake.

Now we must hold on for the next 10 minutes, I told myself…or maybe not! Arsenal equalised when Bayindir’s punch remained in the box and the deflected shot went in. An Arsenal player was potentially offside, but by that time we had already understood that this ref was verging between incompetent and corrupt! So 1-1.

Next few minutes when composure was needed and Dalot commits himself to a lunge after mis-controlling a ball and he is off. That was, well, stupid, especially with that ref. He basically compromised the match for his team. Down to 10-men with 30 minutes to go!

Next the ref gives an inexistent penalty to Arsenal and Harry was fuming. Bayindir to the rescue – what a save! We held on, heroically, in some instances. And at times we created danger as well when we could venture forward. The hunch that it was going to be our night started creeping in as the minutes went by.

Penalties. We were perfect. And Bayindir (the MOTM) saved yet another pen and we are through to the next round. The improvement seems to be seeping in and this team seems more compact and determined. Let’s keep this going in the next matches.

The ref should be relegated to non league matches – I would send him to ref in the sub-saharan desert…Numquam Moribimur!