“Funniest thing ever” – Fans delighted with astonishing Man Utd tactical tweak vs Arsenal | OneFootball

Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim pulled off an unexpected tactical manoeuvre in the final minutes against Arsenal, much to the fans’ amusement.

The two old rivals were pitted against one another in the FA Cup third round. This fixture was obviously the highlight of the football weekend in Britain, and it certainly lived up to the expectations, and perhaps even exceeded them.

The Red Devils prevailed on the penalty shootouts, but the clash had its fair share of drama, especially in the second half. Bruno Fernandes gave the visitors the lead with a brilliant strike that stunned the home supporters at the Emirates Stadium.

However, Diogo Dalot’s dismissal complicated the mission for United, especially with Gabriel equalising the score in the ensuing minutes. A major melee then ensued when Kai Havertz won a spot-kick by theatrically falling to the ground, but Altay Bayindir kept his composure to deny Martin Odegaard, so the score remained 1-1 till the end of extra time.

Nevertheless, Amorim had to hustle to survive with 10 men on the pitch, especially when Lisandro Martinez ran out of steam in the final stretch.

How Amorim shuffled Man United players in final minutes against Arsenal

Ruben Amorim all smiles at Old Trafford (Photo by @ManUtd on X)

The Portuguese didn’t have any substitutions left, but after deliberating with his captain Bruno Fernandes, he decided to place the 30-year-old playmaker at the back and put the Argentine defender in attack where his empty gas tank would be less damaging for the team.

This stunning ploy left the fans both shocked and delighted as they took to social media to express their thoughts.

“Ruben Amorim tactical mastermind! He reorganises the team deep into extra time! Martinez up front,” said one social media user (via the Sun).

“Martinez playing up front for the last five mins was the funniest thing ever,” added another.

“[Fernandes] Spoke with Amorim then ran back and shuffled the team and made Martinez go up top where he doesn’t have to run a lot,” explained a third. “This happened around last few mins of the game, after running his heart out for 120 minutes and scoring that amazing goal. I love him.”