Manchester United beat Arsenal on penalties in the third round of the FA Cup and Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim hailed the work of coaches Carlos Fernandes, Andreas Georgson and Emanuel Ferro after the game
Ruben Amorim has paid tribute to three members of his coaching staff after Manchester United knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on penalties.
The game ended 1-1 after extra-time thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Gabriel Magalhaes, but Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard could have sent the Gunners through to the next round if he had converted a controversial penalty in the 72nd minute.
However, Altay Bayindir save his spot kick and then repeated his heroics in the shootout as he saved Kai Havertz’s effort. United, meanwhile, did not put a foot wrong and scored all five of their penalties with Joshua Zirkzee netting the winner.
And when asked if he was concerned about Zirkzee stepping up after the forward was jeered by his own fans just 13 days earlier when he was ruthlessly substituted in the first-half against Newcastle, Amorim pointed out that it was his coaches who picked the penalty takers.
“I was not [concerned], because I had the feeling that we are going to win, but that part is not my part,” Amorim explained. “The set pieces is not my part, and today we were amazing in set pieces.
“So Carlos [Fernandes] was really good. Andreas [Georgson] was really good. Emanuel [Ferro] was really good, and they chose the right players to score the penalty. So, it’s not my part, it was them. They did a very good job.”
Amorim also suggested the result could be “really important” for both Zirkzee and Bayindir following a difficult few weeks for the pair. “Yeah, it’s really important, not just for him, but for all the players,” he insisted.
“Your life as a footballer has cycles, and moments, and sometimes in one week, your life can change. And you can see Altay – against Tottenham, everybody was like pointing the finger for Altay, and I understand that.
“And today, he was our hero, also. Joshua, [a] few weeks ago, had a small problem with our fans and today, every time he’s going on the pitch, you feel the support from the fans and then he has the last penalty.
“So, the life is like that and you have to continue [to be] humble, to work every day. Your time will come. And so it’s really important for them. Not just for them, but for his team-mates.”
United will now be hoping to carry that momentum forward when they host Southampton, who are currently bottom of the Premier League, on Thursday ahead of a clash with Brighton at the weekend.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Learn more
