Ten-man Manchester United beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round, while Tottenham needed extra time before seeing off non-league Tamworth 3-0 on Sunday. Defeated 2-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League in December, FA Cup holders United exacted revenge on their return to the Emirates Stadium to extend their revival after last weekend’s impressive draw at Liverpool. Ruben Amorim’s troubled side took the lead through Bruno Fernandes, who smashed a superb strike into the far corner from the edge of the area in the 52nd minute. United defender Diogo Dalot was sent off for a second booking after fouling Mikel Merino nine minutes later.
Gabriel Magalhaes grabbed Arsenal’s equaliser in the 63rd minute, the Brazilian defender swivelling to hit a low shot that took a hefty deflection off Matthijs de Ligt.
But Arsenal wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead when Harry Maguire’s soft challenge on Kai Havertz was ruled a penalty.
The furious United defender and team-mate Manuel Ugarte were involved in a melee with several Arsenal players before Altay Bayindir saved Martin Odegaard’s spot-kick.
Havertz missed a host of chances to win it and the German was culpable again in the shoot-out as his effort was saved by Bayindir, setting up the much-maligned Joshua Zirkzee to stroke home the decisive kick.
Tottenham, currently 12th in the Premier League, are 96 places above Tamworth, who sit 16th in the fifth-tier National League.
The supposed gap in quality was rarely apparent as Tottenham’s dismal display took them to the brink of a historic humiliation.
A part-time team whose players work day jobs alongside their football careers and only train twice as week, Tamworth matched their highly-paid and supposedly superior opponents for long periods on the Lamb Ground’s sloping artificial pitch.
They should have caused one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets in normal time but their missed chances proved crucial.
– Spurs survive –
Nathan Tshikuna’s extra-time own goal and late strikes from Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson sent Tottenham into the fourth round.
Tottenham last won a major trophy in 2008, but the under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou boasts he always wins silverware in his second season at a club.
Having beaten Liverpool 1-0 in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, Tottenham remain in contention for a domestic cup double despite a troubled season.
“It was a challenging game as we expected it to be,” Postecoglou said.
“They made it hard for us, with the surface it was about us staying calm and being persistent. In the end, we got the job done.”
Tamworth boss Andy Peaks added: “Disappointed because we were that close to causing a massive upset.
“Everyone put a shift in and when you look at the team we were up against, it was unbelievable from our boys.”
Tottenham were only the fourth Premier League side since 1992-93 to be taken to extra time in an FA Cup game against a non-league club.
Tottenham’s 101st-minute breakthrough was in keeping with their scrappy performance as Johnson’s cross deflected in off Tshikuna as he tried to stop Dominic Solanke making contact.
Kulusevski killed off plucky Tamworth six minutes later, taking Son Heung-min’s pass and firing past Jas Singh.
There was still time for Johnson to put a flattering gloss on the score for Tottenham with a clinical finish in the 118th minute.
Newcastle survived a scare from fourth-tier Bromley in a 3-1 victory that gave them eight successive wins in all competitions.
Cameron Congreve’s long-range strike gave Bromley an eighth-minute lead at St James’ Park in their first FA Cup third round appearance.
But Lewis Miley’s 25-yard blast hauled Newcastle level in the 16th minute.
Anthony Gordon converted a 49th-minute penalty before Will Osula’s 61st-minute rocket completed a good week for Newcastle, who won 2-0 at Arsenal in the League Cup semi-final first leg.
Crystal Palace beat third-tier Stockport 1-0 at Selhurst Park, while Ipswich defeated third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-0 at Portman Road.
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