Arsenal’s William Saliba was barred from taking a penalty in the FA Cup third-round shootout against Manchester United due to a rarely discussed rule.
The Gunners were eliminated after a 5-3 penalty shootout loss, with United’s Joshua Zirkzee scoring the decisive spot kick. Altay Bayindir, United’s goalkeeper, made crucial saves, including one from Kai Havertz in the shootout and another from Martin Ødegaard during regular time. The latter penalty, awarded for a foul by Harry Maguire on Havertz, sparked controversy as Maguire appeared to make no significant contact.
Despite being reduced to 10 players after Diogo Dalot received a second yellow card, United managed to secure an impressive victory.
During the penalty shootout, Arsenal’s Ødegaard, Havertz, Declan Rice, and Thomas Partey stepped up, but Saliba was excluded. FA rules dictate that a team cannot have more penalty takers than their opponent in a shootout. Since United had one fewer player due to Dalot’s red card, Arsenal had to leave a player out, with Saliba being the one chosen.
This rule also meant that if the shootout had reached 11 penalties each, the sequence would have reset after 10 kicks. Interestingly, Arsenal opted for goalkeeper David Raya as a potential taker over Saliba. However, the Gunners were eliminated after just four penalties.
Following the match, United manager Ruben Amorim reflected on the victory, praising his team’s resilience and spirit despite being down to 10 men. “Especially in the first half, we played better than in the first game against Arsenal. We were more aggressive and showed great spirit, even with 10 men,” Amorim said. He also commended the connection between the team and their fans, believing the result was destined to go their way.
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