Manchester United hero against Arsenal Altay Bayindir reaches FA Cup milestone after 10 years
Manchester United visited the Emirates Stadium for a high-stakes third-round FA Cup clash against Arsenal. In a surprising turn of events, goalkeeper Altay Bayindir emerged as the hero, guiding United to victory in a penalty shootout and reaching a milestone that hadn’t been achieved in the FA Cup for a decade.
Ruben Amorim’s decision to start Bayindir over regular goalkeeper Andre Onana shocked many United fans. However, the Turkish keeper delivered a standout performance, making crucial one-on-one saves and stopping two penalties, one in regular time and another during the shootout. His efforts secured United’s progress and etched his name into FA Cup history.
Bayindir’s first pivotal moment came in the 72nd minute when he saved Martin Odegaard’s penalty, keeping United in the game. Later, during the penalty shootout, he denied Kai Havertz, becoming the first Premier League goalkeeper since the 2013-14 season to save a penalty in both normal time and a shootout in the same FA Cup match.
After the game, when asked about his performance, Bayindir humbly reflected on it: “I just want to help everyone at this great football club. You have to be ready at every second if you are a Manchester United player,” he said during the post-match interview.
Against the odds, Manchester United eliminated Arsenal, keeping their title defense alive after winning the 2023-24 FA Cup. In the next round, the Red Devils will face Leicester City in what promises to be another challenging fixture.
Ruben Amorim’s trust in Bayindir pays off
Bayindir’s journey at Manchester United hasn’t been easy. The Turkish goalkeeper joined the club in the summer of 2023 from Fenerbahçe for $6M, during the same window United spent nearly $60M on Andre Onana. Before the Arsenal game, Bayindir had only played four matches for the club, conceding eight goals and keeping just one clean sheet.
In his pre-match press conference, Amorim confirmed he would field his strongest lineup against Arsenal. However, the decision to start Bayindir over Onana, especially after Bayindir’s poor performance in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham Hotspur—where he conceded four goals—raised eyebrows among fans.”Altay is going to play,” Amorim confidently stated before the match, showing faith in the underdog goalkeeper.
After the game, Amorim praised Bayindir’s resilience and ability to rise to the occasion: “The life of a footballer has cycles and moments. Sometimes, in one week, your life can change. You saw it with Altay. Against Tottenham, everyone was pointing fingers at him—and I understand that—but today, he was our hero,” the Portuguese manager said during the post-match press conference.