Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United displayed a “different mood” in Sunday’s FA Cup third-round triumph against Arsenal than they did in last month’s Premier League defeat to the Gunners.
In early December, United suffered a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, conceding both goals from corners. It was the beginning of a difficult time for the team, in which standard deficiencies were repeatedly exposed.
But Amorim’s team started 2025 with a much-improved performance against Liverpool at Anfield and then managed to knock Arsenal out of the cup on penalties despite being stuck with just ten players for an hour in extra time following Diogo Dalot’s sending off played.
“I think we played better, especially in the first half [than] in the first game [against Arsenal]. We were better and more aggressive in standard situations. We show a different spirit, even with ten men. We are improving this aspect,” he said.
“I think at the beginning of the game we had a lot of difficulty controlling the game with the ball and then we suffered, not having great chances, but we had problems chasing the ball, especially to change the game, to win the first pressure.” from Arsenal.
“But then we can take advantage of this moment and take the game to another level when we talk about aggressiveness. And that is a very good thing. We managed to score and then I felt like we were able to improve at that moment with the ball, but with that [player] sent [it] was really hard for us. And then we suffered together, defended very well and had a few chances from Arsenal.
“The players were really tired, but I felt from the first minute that today was our day. And I also felt a connection with our fans and our staff. In that respect it was a very good day for us. We have to improve the way we play football.”