Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United (3-5 Pen): Ruben Amorim praises team’s fighting spirit after FA Cup penalty shootout win

Ruben Amorim has seen clear signs of improvement from his Manchester United side after knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The Portuguese suffered his first defeat as United manager at the Emirates Stadium in early December, but just over a month later his side struggled with 10 men after Diogo Dalot was sent off. An hour later, the third round was dragged into a penalty shootout. eventually defeated their host.

Clearly, United are still a long way from becoming the team Amorim hopes they will be. Had Kai Havertz not missed two golden chances or Altay Bayindil not saved Martin Odegaard’s penalty in normal time, the story might have been different for their FA Cup defense. Finish.

But it feels like a big step forward from the Premier League defeat. Coupled with recent positive away results for Manchester City and Liverpool, the bigger picture is starting to look encouraging for Amorim and United.

“Especially in the first half we played better than the first game,” Amorim said. “Today we were better at set pieces, more aggressive and we showed fighting spirit, even with 10 men.

“It was really tough for us to get sent off. Arsenal had some chances. The players were really tired.

“But from the first minute today, I felt like this was our day. I felt a connection with our fans.”

Speaking about his team’s increasing resilience, Amorim added: “When we score first, it helps us endure the pain. It’s more empowering to endure the pain.”

“We can calm the game down. We know a lot more about how we play – sometimes not playing well, but in certain moments you can control the game. It’s clear we’re making progress through the pain we’ve had .It’s a good thing for a team.”

The heroes of the penalty shootout – Altay Bayindil and Joshua Zirkzee – have certainly suffered during Amorim’s tenure. The goalkeeper conceded a goal straight from a corner in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur, while Zirkzee conceded in Newcastle’s half at Old Trafford When he was substituted before the end, he was booed by his own supporters.

“As a footballer you have cycles and moments in your life and sometimes your life can change,” Amorim said of the impact both players had on the Emirates Stadium.

“At Tottenham Hotspur, people pointed the finger at Altay and today he is our hero too.

“Josh had a little problem with the fans and he got his last penalty today. That’s life. Your moment will come.”

Manchester United have gone six consecutive games without winning a game in normal time. But maybe their better times as a team are also coming.

Three consecutive home games – against Southampton, Brighton and Rangers in the Europa League – give them the chance to build on their past two games.