In a display of extraordinary resilience, Manchester United overcame the odds to eliminate Arsenal from the FA Cup in a penalty shootout thriller at the Emirates Stadium. The Red Devils, who played with 10 men for nearly 30 minutes following Diogo Dalot's dismissal in the 61st minute, showcased remarkable defensive organization under Ruben Amorim's tactical approach.
United's goalkeeper Altay Bayindir proved to be the difference-maker, producing several crucial saves during regular time before becoming the hero in the penalty shootout. Arsenal's finishing woes were further complicated by an injury to Gabriel Jesus, who was forced off after a collision with Bruno Fernandes. The victory sets up an intriguing home fixture against Leicester City for United, building on their recent positive form following a draw against Liverpool.
Meanwhile, in Spain, Atletico Madrid has emerged as surprise LaLiga leaders, taking advantage of Real Madrid and Barcelona's Supercopa commitments. A narrow 1-0 win over Osasuna, courtesy of Julián Álvarez's second-half goal, extended their impressive winning run to 14 matches across all competitions.
Diego Simeone's men have shown remarkable consistency, suffering just one defeat in 19 league games. They currently hold a one-point advantage over Real Madrid and a six-point lead over Barcelona - a dramatic turnaround after trailing by 10 points in early November. Their form mirrors their championship-winning seasons of 2014 and 2021.
The Bundesliga's return to action brought unexpected drama as Borussia Dortmund hosted Bayer Leverkusen. A flu outbreak forced Dortmund to field an improvised defense, while traffic chaos prevented Leverkusen stars Florian Wirtz and Exequiel Palacios from attending the team meeting. Despite manager Xabi Alonso's bold decision to bench both players, Leverkusen secured a 3-2 victory at Signal Iduna Park.
In other European action, Manchester City target Omar Marmoush continued his impressive form with a decisive goal for Eintracht Frankfurt against St. Pauli. Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold silenced critics with a spectacular long-range effort against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
The Eredivisie title race has intensified following PSV's draw against AZ Alkmaar, with Ajax now just four points behind after winning three straight matches. AC Milan's Serie A struggles persisted with a 1-1 draw against Cagliari, leading to public criticism from new manager Sérgio Conceição.
In Portugal, Benfica claimed the Taça da Liga trophy, defeating Sporting CP in a dramatic penalty shootout. Francisco Trincão's miss proved decisive after 13 consecutive successful conversions, helping Benfica equal FC Porto's record of 86 trophies.
