Mikel Arteta told to replace Arsenal star after Man Utd defeat in FA Cup

Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United (Picture: Getty)

Mikel Arteta has been told he must replace Gunners striker Kai Havertz after Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United.

Arsenal are the most successful team in FA Cup history but will not be adding to their 14 trophies after losing on penalties to United at the Emirates Stadium.

The visitors took the lead through a superb Bruno Fernandes finish but Arsenal looked set to clinch a third-round win when Gabriel equalised just two minutes after Diogo Dalot was sent off for a second yellow card.

It was one-way traffic following Dalot’s dismissal but Arsenal missed a number of chances as Manchester United took the tie to a penalty shootout.

Martin Odegaard had a penalty in normal time saved by United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and Havertz also missed a huge chance to send Arsenal into the fourth round.

It was Havertz who then missed the decisive spot-kick as United converted all five of their penalties to progress in the FA Cup at the expense of Arsenal.

The game was further evidence that Arsenal desperately need a new striker, according to Craig Burley, who says the Gunners will never win the title with Havertz leading the line.

Kai Havertz endured a dismal afternoon in the FA Cup (Picture: Getty)

‘The Manchester United goalkeeper made some very, very good saves,’ the former Chelsea and Scotland midfielder told ESPN.

‘But if you’re going to challenge Liverpool and Man City for the Premier League, you need a player in the frontline that is way more effective than this guy [Havertz].

‘There are some people, and Mikel Arteta is one of them, who can’t see past Kai Havertz it seems. I know they don’t have many other options but that’s his choice, it’s his choice.

‘He’s had transfer windows to address this and he hasn’t done it. He’s unlikely to do it in January, maybe he will with the [Gabriel] Jesus injury.

‘Chelsea were willing to sell the player because he wasn’t prolific and consistent enough. Let’s not forget, Arsenal sign him as a midfielder and that didn’t work so that was another mistake from Mikel Arteta.

‘Then he plays him up front, he works hard and he’s got a great attitude, but he’s not good enough to take Arsenal to the next level.

‘If they don’t get a goalscorer, they’re not winning the Premier League, end of story.

Altay Bayindir was the hero for Manchester United (Picture: Getty)

‘I wouldn’t be saying this about any player, any player, if it was just one or two games, that would be ridiculous. But there’s a pattern here. It’s a gaping problem.’

To make matters worse for Arsenal, they lost forward Jesus to injury in the second-half of the FA Cup defeat, with the Brazilian covering his face with his shirt as he was stretchered off the pitch.

‘Big worry, that’s my feeling,’ Arteta said when asked for an update on his condition.

‘He had to come off on a stretcher with a lot of pain, touching his knee. It’s not looking good.

‘The worrying factor is the feeling that he had. When he had to come off and the pain that he was in.’

For FA Cup holders Manchester United, the victory represented another hugely promising sign following last weekend’s draw with Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Ruben Amorim’s side were rewarded with a fourth-round tie at home against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City.

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