🏟️🚨Arsenal Player Banned from Taking Penalty in FA Cup Shootout Against Man Utd Due to Rare Rule

Arsenal Player Banned from Taking Penalty in FA Cup Shootout Against Man Utd Due to Rare Rule

Arsenal was knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United after a penalty shootout. The Gunners lost 5-4 after Kai Havertz missed his penalty, but there was another twist in the shootout—one of Arsenal’s players was prevented from taking a penalty due to a little-known rule.

The match ended in disappointment for Arsenal, who were eliminated from the cup competition for the second time in a week. Havertz’s missed spot-kick was saved by Manchester United’s goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, which led to their defeat.

Had Havertz scored, the shootout could have gone on longer, possibly extending all the way to the goalkeepers. However, one Arsenal player, William Saliba, was unable to take a penalty due to the FA Cup rule that requires both teams to have the same number of penalty takers.

The rule came into play after Diogo Dalot of Manchester United was sent off with a red card for two yellow cards. This meant that Arsenal had to reduce their penalty takers by one, and Saliba was the player left out of the order.

Despite the penalty drama, Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta refused to place the blame on Havertz. He praised his team’s overall performance despite the loss, saying, “In a thousand games like this, you lose one, and probably this was the one. It’s football, and sometimes things don’t go your way.”

Arsenal’s captain, Martin Ødegaard, also had a chance to score in normal time after a foul by Harry Maguire on Havertz, but Ødegaard’s penalty was also saved by Bayindir, contributing to the team’s early exit from the FA Cup.

While the loss was tough, Arteta expressed pride in his players, stating, “I’m so proud of my players. I love my players, and I cannot be prouder.”