Popular football influencer Mark Goldbridge has called for Manchester United players to walk off the pitch following a controversial incident during their FA Cup third-round clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
After a relatively quiet first half, United captain Bruno Fernandes gave his side the lead, only for Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães to equalize, pushing the match into extra time. However, the game’s turning point came shortly after the hour mark, sparking widespread outrage.
United defender Diogo Dalot was shown a second yellow card and sent off for a late tackle on Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino, missing the ball and catching his opponent’s ankle. Just two minutes later, Gabriel took advantage of a poor clearance from United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir to score the equalizer, further fueling Goldbridge’s frustration.
Taking to social media platform X, Goldbridge expressed his anger, writing: “United should walk off the pitch. Never seen a game so badly officiated. Disgusting.” He later doubled down, saying: “Walk off the pitch! This ref needs locking up.”
This wasn’t the first time Goldbridge had criticized referee Andrew Madley during the match. Earlier, he highlighted inconsistencies in decisions involving fouls on goalkeepers, posting: “HILARIOUS! Arsenal foul keepers all the time and never a foul given. We don’t even touch the keeper and it’s a foul.”
Despite being reduced to 10 men for much of the second half, United fans—including Goldbridge—praised the team’s resilience in taking the game to extra time. Should the score remain tied after two 15-minute halves, the winner will be determined via a penalty shootout.
The draw for the FA Cup’s fourth round will follow immediately after the match, with fixtures scheduled for early February.
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