Football

ARSENAL fans could not believe David Raya’s bizarre penalty technique.And it didn’t help that he went the wrong way for all five Manchester United penalties.David Raya came under fire from his own fansCredit: ReutersHe started diving before the Manchester United players took their penaltiesCredit: BBCRaya also did giant dives, nearly landing outside the goalCredit: ReutersAfter a blockbuster, ferocious 1-1 draw, the mammoth FA Cup third-round clash between the two giants had to be decided in a shootout.Kai Havertz was the only man to miss as Joshua Zirzkee fired in the all-important fifth spot-kick for United to book their place in round four against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester. The Dutch striker revelled in his moment in the spotlight while United’s back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir produced the heroics to be named man of the match – denying Havertz after saving from Martin Odegaard during normal time.However, as the United fans celebrated their victory, plenty of Arsenal supporters were lamenting their own goalkeeper’s efforts.READ MORE ON ARSENALRaya, 29, managed to dive the wrong way for Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez and Zirkzee. But not only did he manage a far-from-impressive zero per cent guessing success rate, it was the way he leapt across that confused his supporters.Raya seemingly made his mind up early.But he appeared to take a couple of shuffling side-steps across his goalline before performing a giant dive, landing all the way over by the post on some of the penalties.Most read in FA CupFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFor Yoro’s, for instance, he had already done the steps and started pushing off before the defender kicked the ball, enabling the Frenchman to whip it into the opposite corner with Raya helpless.And it sparked a wave of comments from viewers who noticed it on social media – including calling it “hilarious” and a “disgrace”.Arsenal vs Manchester United: Player Ratings (2)One said: “Where is Raya going?”Another wrote: “Why was Raya diving so early on some of them btw?”A third added: “What is actually wrong with David Raya? It’s like when you move the keeper on FIFA.”A United fan joked: “Thank you Raya. you are a good dude.”Arsenal ratings vs Man Utd as Martinelli looks lively but wasteful Havertz costs Gunners another trophy chanceKAI HAVERTZ missed two sitters and a penalty in the shoot-out as Arsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup.The Gunners huffed and puffed but failed to find a winner, even after extra-time, against Manchester United’s 10 men.And it all went wrong in the penalty shootout as Altay Bayindir saved Havertz’s effort.Here is how SunSport’s Kealan Hughes rated the Arsenal stars…DAVID RAYA – 6Could do nothing about United’s goal and produced a stellar stop to deny Zirkzee in extra-time.JURRIEN TIMBER – 7Very effective on the overlap and worked well being fed by Odegaard.Tested a couple of times by Alejandro Garnacho who proved a problem on the counter-attack.WILLIAM SALIBA – 7Dealt with Hojlund well although the striker did not pose much of a threat.GABRIEL – 6Terrible error to lose possession to Alejandro Garnacho who was put through on goal and set up Bruno Fernandes to score.Made amends with a brilliant finish Bukayo Saka would have been proud of.MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 5A quiet game at left-back, probably should have got forward more particularly after United went down to ten men and had Garnacho filling in at right-back.JORGINHO – 5Kept things ticking over in the middle and was always an outlet for his team-mates.MIKEL MERINO – 4Anonymous in the middle. Difficult to see what he brings to this Arsenal side.Missed a good chance to put his side ahead moments after the equaliser and was taken off shortly after that.MARTIN ODEGAARD – 7A pleasure to watch. Made everything happen, his ability to turn on the ball in the middle of the park created opportunities time after time.But he missed the chance to win the game from the penalty spot.GABRIEL JESUS – 6Lovely pass to break the lines and put through Martinelli, who found the back of the net but was offside.Fell awkwardly when defending a cross in the first half and was carried off on a stretcher.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7Was the main attacking threat in the first half with his direct style causing the visitors all sorts of problems.Produced good movement and a finish to match but his goal was disallowed for offside.KAI HAVERTZ – 3Won the penalty after a deft touch past Maguire.But he missed two sitters including one just three minutes from time to win the match, and his penalty miss proved decisive in the shoot-out.SUBSTITUTESRaheem Sterling (for Jesus, 40mins) – 6Looked sharp when he got the ball and did well in the build-up to Havertz winning the penalty.Declan Rice (for Merino, 73mins) – 6Almost scored with what might have been his first touch but his header was brilliantly saved.Should have grabbed the winner in the dying moments but his low effort was again superbly matched by Bayindir.Leandro Trossard (for Lewis-Skelly, extra-time) – 5Will wonder how he didn’t score after Matthijs de Ligt produced a goalline clearance to deny him.Blazed over with an effort from just outside the box.Thomas Partey (for Timber, 101mins) – 5Put in a few good crosses. Came close to a winner with an effort that was deflected narrowly over the bar.Kieran Tierney (for Jorginho, 113mins) -His arrival onto the pitch was greeted with a big cheer but he did not have much time to impact the match.A fifth replied: “Nearly every one of his attempted saves looked like something out of a comic book. Awful.”A sixth noted: “Raya really dived the wrong way on 5/5 pens, hands down the worst keeper for pens.”A seventh quipped: “Raya dives before the player even puts the ball down.”An eighth tweeted: “Raya diving in this video is like when you click the wrong button when you are playing a game of FIFA.”A ninth moaned: “Raya diving a second before the penalty is taken is not the approved method.”READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd a final user reacted: “Raya is jumping out of the way?”Supporters flooded social media with commentsCredit: BBCThe goalkeeper went the wrong way for all five United penaltiesCredit: AFP More

ANDY PEAKS repeated the mantra before, during and after the greatest two hours of his football career.“Believe in yourselves. Believe. Believe. Believe. I tell you week in, week out, people don’t want to come here. THEY certainly don’t want to be here. Stay in the game and see where it takes you.”Tamworth gave SunSport behind-the-scenes access for the FA Cup tie with TottenhamCredit: PAAndy Peaks can be proud of the way and he his team conducted themselvesCredit: GettyThe Lambs narrowly missed out on the biggest FA Cup shock of the centuryCredit: AFPIt all started with the net needing repairing and a delayed kick-offCredit: GettyThey were supposed to be Lambs to the slaughter — but for 120 glorious, sweat-drenched, fist-clenched minutes tiny Tamworth roared like lions.And I was privileged to be at the heart of it all as SunSport was given the kind of access rarely seen at this level.We love the FA Cup and, after Tamworth’s heroics, I am sure the nation has fallen head over heels for this unique, historic competition all over again after witnessing this epic David-versus-Goliath tie.I spent the week shadowing Tamworth manager Peaks, general manager Scott Rickards, club secretary Archie Baynham and the players, those red-and-black-clad warriors who went toe-to-toe with Tottenham.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLI was with them, scraping ice off cars at 10.30pm on Thursday in -4C conditions after their ONLY training session of the week.If that is what they could produce after just 90 minutes of preparation to face Ange Postecoglou’s millionaires think what they could have done if they were full-time? Peaks’ team included a taxi driver, building surveyor, bricklayer, marketing executive, financial adviser, engineer, teacher, sandwich-maker and even a zip salesman.But he has somehow found a way to mould this group of part-time warriors into serial scrappers and serial winners after back-to-back title wins.Most read in FA CupFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSI shared breakfast with the squad after they gathered at nearby Drayton Manor Hotel, within the grounds of the theme park, before the white-knuckle ride of their lives.And I sat with them on the team coach during the short hop to The Lamb, when over-eager security staff stopped us at the entrance — to make sure the luxury coach with Tamworth FC emblazoned on the front was indeed what it said on the tin.Why Daniel Levy will be fed PIE & CHIPS with Tottenham in for FA Cup shock at part-time TamworthThat comedy moment lightened the mood among the players ahead of the biggest game of their lives. The tension built during the pre-match warm-ups.I walked by the Spurs dressing room and witnessed some of their star players being strapped up on the treatment table they had brought with them – in the chilly corridor outside.And I was there to hear Peaks demand that his players believed this could be their day during his inspirational pre-match team talk.I was with them, scraping ice off cars at 10.30pm on Thursday in -4C conditions after their ONLY training session of the week.Then it was out to the roar of 3,000 Tamworth fans… and the murmurs of 800 Tottenham supporters who were probably still rubbing the sleep from their bleary eyes.Mighty Tottenham towered above fifth-tier Tamworth – a massive 96 places above them in the football pyramid.The build-up for both sides couldn’t have been much more polarised.Tamworth got home, bleary-eyed at 2.30am on Wednesday morning following a 1-0 FA Trophy defeat at Sutton United.Spurs warmed up with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup.SunSport’s Graeme Bryce spent the day with the Tamworth squadCredit: The SunBryce took his seat in the Tamworth dugoutCredit: Dan WestwellOur man even travelled on the team bus, which was stopped by overzealous security staffCredit: The SunSon Heung-min received a warm welcome from the Tamworth mascotsCredit: GettyTamworth’s players warmed up in their The Sun topsCredit: ReutersJames Maddison led his team out in unfamiliar surroundingsCredit: GettyBut first, there was an unexpected hiccup as kick-off was delayed for five minutes after one of the nets became unclipped from its hooks.Spurs stars looked bemused as a ladder and net technician were called for.However, Lambs winger Beck-Ray Enoru – usually a Sales Assistant for Zara – sprang into action, clambering on to the shoulders of giant defender Jordan Cullinane-Liburd to save the day.Job done, Tamworth’s army of fans in the Shed chanted: “We are Tamworth… we fix our own nets!” And then we were off.Tamworth got off to a flyer when Enoru almost found the Spurs net with a shot which goalie Antonin Kinsky did well to save.First-team coach Tim Dudding turned to me and said: “No matter what happens now… at least we’ve had a shot.”He needn’t have worried. By the end of a dramatic afternoon, Tamworth had rattled off 13 shots to Tottenham’s 17.As Peaks supped tea from a cardboard carton, it soon became evident something special was brewing.That was different class. You’ve all been part of an unbelievable day. Be disappointed because we came so close to rewriting the history books.Andy PeaksJas Singh – whose partner gave birth to a son on Saturday night – was defiant in the Tamworth goal, defying James Maddison more than once.Tom Tonks hurled in his trademark Howitzer long throws and Kinsky looked uneasy as he missed one completely, before going on to regain his composure.At half-time, honours even, Peaks urged his team for another big push: “Everyone’s performed their role. You’ve out-battled them, you’ve shut them down, we look a threat when we get it.“More of the same. More of the same. Do not switch off.“They’re probably going to get a rollicking because they’ve not hurt you.”As we settled down for the second half Peaks turned to me, smiled and said: “At least they’ve not got much on the bench to bring on.”However, Tamworth forced Postecoglou to send on all of his big guns as Lucas Bergvall, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Djed Spence entered the fray.“We wanted Arsenal… we wanted Arsenal,” Tamworth fans taunted.Nathan Tshikuna was the unfortunate man to break the deadlock with his own goalCredit: RexThe Lambs more than held their own despite the 96-place differenceCredit: RexThe two sides could not be separated after 90 minutesCredit: Reuters3,000 Tamworth fans roared on their sideCredit: RexTom Tonks tried to cause chaos with his giant throw inCredit: GettyAnge kept his cool throughout but he breathed a sigh of relief when Tom McGlichey’s shot was blocked then Kinsky saved crucially to deny Cullinane-Liburd in the dying seconds.The deadlock was finally broken 11 minutes into extra-time when Spurs scored following a controversial free-kick, harshly awarded by ref Peter Bankes.Villain of the day Pedro Porro shaped up to shoot but slid the ball around the wall instead and in the chaos which followed the ball ricocheted off Nathan Tshikuna’s knee and landed in his own net.It was a cruel blow but Peaks reminded his side at the break: “Keep believing – you’ll get one chance.”It fell to McGlinchey whose audacious chip flew just over with Kinsky stranded.Sadly for the Lambs, Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson took theirs to flatter the visitors with a 3-0 win.Afterwards, Peaks was full of praise for his heroes.He told them: “That was different class. I don’t think you realise how good you were at times.“You’ve all been part of an unbelievable day. Be disappointed because we came so close to rewriting the history books.READ MORE SUN STORIES“The general performance, the attitude, they are raving on commentary about how good you were. Well done.”This was Peaks performance without a shadow of a doubt.Tamworth did have chances to get a winnerCredit: GettyJas Singh played a blinder in goal just hours after his baby son was bornCredit: AFPTottenham had to turn to the big hitters to eventually get the 3-0 winCredit: PAAnge Postecoglou would have been sweating over a possible nightmare exitCredit: AFPThe day will be remembered by everyone in attendanceCredit: AFPPeaks was full of praise of his part-time heroesCredit: PA More