Di Maria receives a red card, Welbeck scores to eliminate Man Utd.

Arsenal won 2-1 against Man Utd at Old Trafford, securing their place in the FA Cup semi-finals on March 9th.

Welbeck celebrates his goal against Man Utd. Photo: Reuters.

Antonio Valencia passed the ball, and Danny Welbeck nimbly broke through to score. This same scene, which would have delighted Manchester United fans in the past, now brings immense disappointment.

Old Trafford fell silent as Welbeck, who had scored 29 goals for Man Utd, scored against David De Gea. The disappointment was even greater for the Red Devils fans as it was the decisive goal that eliminated them from the FA Cup.

The English striker didn't hesitate to show his excitement at personally finishing off his former team. He didn't play well for the whole match, but with just one moment of brilliance, Welbeck made everyone remember him. Arsenal ended their seven-year winless streak against Man Utd thanks to the former Red Devils player.

The victory secured Arsenal's place in the semi-finals, and potentially the final, as their next opponent will be either Reading or Bradford. Arsene Wenger's team has a great chance to defend England's oldest cup. Manchester United, on the other hand, faces a second consecutive year without a trophy, raising concerns about the team's future.

The clash between Man Utd and Arsenal started as excitingly as fans had hoped, but ended quite unexpectedly. Half-time can be seen as a turning point that divided the match's narrative. In the first half, both teams attacked proactively, playing openly and energetically, reminiscent of high-stakes encounters many years ago. Nacho Monreal opened the scoring, but Wayne Rooney quickly equalized.

In the second half, Man Utd handed Arsenal the victory with two silly mistakes. The first came from a Valencia pass that led to Welbeck's goal. The second was the unnecessary red card for Angel Di Maria with 15 minutes remaining and trailing. The Argentinian midfielder lost his temper and pulled referee Michael Oliver's shirt after the latter deemed him to have dived during an attack.

Louis Van Gaal sat silently on the sidelines amidst the team's turmoil. He didn't show excessive anger or disappointment. Perhaps the Dutch strategist was too upset to react. Or perhaps he felt calm, as he stated before the match: "Qualifying for the Champions League is more important than winning the FA Cup."

Di Maria left the pitch covering his face after reacting angrily to the referee. Photo: Reuters.

In the 25th minute, Chamberlain produced a brilliant dribble, weaving through a cluster of Manchester United players before threading a pass to the left wing for Monreal to run onto and score the opening goal. Just four minutes later, Di Maria delivered an accurate cross, setting up Rooney, unmarked, to head home from close range and equalize.

In the 61st minute, Valencia made a careless pass into their own half, allowing Welbeck to face goalkeeper De Gea, and the former Man Utd player didn't miss the opportunity to score and increase the lead.

Near the end of the match, Januzaj fell in the penalty area, but once again referee Oliver showed him a yellow card, deeming the Manchester United player to be diving.

In the final minutes of the match, Arsenal nearly scored another goal from a quick counter-attack, but Sanchez's final shot went wide of the post. However, a one-goal lead was enough to secure Arsenal's place in the semi-finals.

According to VNE