Exhibit 1: Gabriel Jesus fouls Bruno Fernandes on top of Arsenal’s penalty box. Referee Andrew Madley overlooks it and books Fernandes for dissent. Manchester United are denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Exhibit 2: Kai Havertz runs into Harry Maguire and dives shamelessly. The referee signals towards the spot. Atrocious. There is not even a feather touch. Altay Bayindir saves Martin Odegaard’s penalty. Poetic justice!
As United and Arsenal played an FA Cup third round fixture at the Emirates on Sunday, Madley insulted football. United were at the receiving end of seven bookings to Arsenal’s one. Diogo Dalot was red-carded for a tackle on Mikel Merino, which was in accordance with the letter of the law. But almost every 50-50 call went in Arsenal’s favour. The United away pack, around 8,000 of them, rightly hollered: “Fergie’s right, refs are s…e.” In the context of The Simpsons, Madley “gives a homer a bad name”.
The FA Cup doesn’t use VAR until the fifth round. But referees like Madley – if he wasn’t biased, he was incompetent – are the reasons why technology is a must in football, notwithstanding its inconsistencies. From United’s perspective, braving the refereeing odds, playing with 10 men for 60 minutes and then winning the game in the shootout spoke volumes for the team’s resilience and character under Ruben Amorim. An FA Cup tie against Arsenal, 10 men on the pitch and penalties saved – it gave that 1999 feeling.
Maguire left to a standing ovation when he was subbed off in extra time. His manager asked him to be a leader on the pitch and the ex-United skipper responded in an emphatic fashion. Matthijs de Ligt was first-class, his peak coming via a world-class goal-saving clearance. Lisandro Martinez clutched his groin late on in the game. He went to play as a makeshift forward and still pressed regardless of any pain. The Argentine embodied the fighting spirit of his team. Fernandes was captain fantastic, scoring a lovely goal and covering every blade of grass on the pitch.
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But the game was more about Bayindir and Joshua Zirkzee’s redemption. The former channelled his inner Peter Schmeichel and was adjudged the Man of the Match. Bayindir cost United in the League Cup but took them to victory in the FA Cup.
And spare a thought for Zirkzee. About a fortnight ago, he was in tears after being hauled off before half-time against Newcastle United at Old Trafford. He was deplorably heckled by a section of the home fans and virtually ran for cover. On Sunday, he went into the fans’ embrace after scoring the winner in the shootout. The Dutch centre-forward was clinical from the spot and mesmerising with his footwork in the middle of the park, sending William Saliba to Saint-Etienne, tongue firmly in cheek. “Oh, Joshua Zirkzee,” sang the away-dayers.
“Your life as a footballer has cycles and moments, and sometimes in one week your life can change,” Amorim said post-match.
A little later, a short message from Gordon Hill, the former United and England winger, landed in the inbox. “Just effort, that is all that was needed, and look at the result.”
After eking out a draw at Anfield, United upset Premier League title contenders Arsenal on their home patch. The sleeping giant is waking up under Amorim. They must build on the momentum.
P. S. Havertz missed his penalty in the shootout, Bayindir diving to his left and saving it. Eventually, that turned out to be the difference between the two sides. “Justice,” United posted on their X (formerly Twitter) handle.