This fantastic FA Cup tie turned into a tear-up and a shootout between the competition’s two most successful sides.
It also turned into a debate about whether English football is better without VAR.
The latter is not really a viable debate as technology is here to stay. There is too much money and pride invested in it.
VAR supporters will rightly point to a clear and obvious error by the referee, Andrew Madley, in awarding Arsenal a contentious penalty when Kai Havertz went to ground after running into Harry Maguire.
Justice prevailed when the outstanding Altay Bayindir saved Martin Odegaard’s penalty.
Those who want VAR scrapped – and it’s not being used in the Cup until the fifth round – will point to the compelling, uninterrupted drama without it, and the ability to celebrate without first checking the big screens to see if VAR intervenes.
Even if the authorities are not for turning, the VAR debate will continue to rage.
One debate that is certainly ended pertains to Ruben Amorim. What a fine appointment he is proving by United. Progressing to the fourth round will have stirred even more goodwill towards him from United fans.
So will the players’ increasing familiarity with his 3-4-2-1 system, which Amorim continued coaching during the game. At one point, he signalled his right-sided No.10, Alejandro Garnacho, to tuck in more to give better support to Rasmus Hojlund.
Amorim has also instilled the right attitude in his players as seen at Anfield last weekend and now here at the Emirates.
Gathered in a huddle at the end of normal time, they listened intently to Amorim’s rallying cry. Squad and manager are united. They are going places, and not only into the fourth round of the Cup.
United are also showing defiance. They played for an hour with ten men after Diogo Dalot, already on a yellow, naively flew into a challenge on Mikel Merino.
Harry Maguire led the resistance movement, Matthijs de Ligt similarly excelled, throwing his body in the way of shots. Lisandro Martinez embodied United’s gutsy attitude when appearing to damage his groin late on but he went up top and pressed, regardless of any pain.
The attitude of the players Amorim sent on was exemplary, too. Joshua Zirkzee was tireless whether at centre-forward or linking. His work-rate was rewarded with a lengthy and appreciative chant from the 8,000 United fans in the Clock End. Toby Collyer’s athleticism also played a part in United holding out.
In goal, Bayindir’s abilities have been doubted, especially after an unconvincing performance against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.
But he vied with Maguire, De Ligt and Fernandes as man of the match. It was Bayindir’s save from the hapless Havertz in the shootout that smoothed United’s passage to the fourth round.
And so to Arsenal and inevitably Havertz. The German encapsulates one of Arsenal’s strengths, their frequent elan in approach work, but also their very obvious flaw in that he is not a clinical centre-forward.
It shouldn’t really still be a debate but Arsenal urgently need a finisher. Havertz missed a glorious chance to prevent extra time, scooping the ball over from close range.
The loss of Bukayo Saka’s service and goal threat through ill-timed injury compounds the absence of a centre forward.
Gabriel Jesus was Arsenal’s best attacker in recent weeks, scoring six in his previous six games, but injured his knee after 40 minutes, and departed on a stretcher in real anguish.
Arteta has to look at recruiting an attacker in the transfer window.
Jesus injured himself catching the back of Fernandes, who went down claiming a free-kick. He had a good case, and held up a boot dislodged by Jesus as Exhibit A.
Madley failed to be convinced, waved play on, Fernandes went into one of his familiar meltdowns, threw the boot away and was booked for dissent.
Fernandes poured his sense of grievance into giving United the lead with a fine goal seven minutes into the second half.
Garnacho broke down the inside-right channel and squared. The ball bounced a couple of times but Fernandes judged it with his usual intelligence. He cleverly used Jurrien Timber as a screen to block David Raya’s vision, and bent the ball around the right-back and in.
Seven minutes later, Dalot departed and two minutes further on Arsenal were level. Bayindir might have reached Gabriel’s close-range shot but it clipped De Ligt and deflected in.
Then came that moment that will feed VAR debates.
The Havertz-Maguire connection was never a penalty and Madley could have been rescued had he recourse to technology. Instead, an old-school argument flared as the referee was clearly not in control of the situation.
Manuel Ugarte got to grips with Havertz. Maguire protested loudly. Bayindir stayed calm, watched Odegaard like a hawk, and leapt left to save.
Bayindir then kept United in the tie, denying Declan Rice twice.
Having saved one penalty in normal time, Bayindir contributed the key moment of the shootout.
Fernandes, Odegaard and Amad Diallo had all found the net when Havertz walked forward to a barrage of ‘Chelsea reject’ chants from gesticulating United fans. Bayindir guessed correctly, diving left to save.
Lenny Yoro and Rice traded successful penalties, bringing Martinez up. What nerve. Martinez did a little jump and stroked his penalty down the middle.
Thomas Partey delayed the inevitable, but some Arsenal fans were already heading towards the exit. Zirkzee applied the coup de grace and United fans began singing about Wembley.
