PRESTON: Manchester United survived a scare to beat League One Preston North End 3-1 in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday and set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against Arsenal.

Louis Van Gaal’s star-studded side were in danger of an embarrassing exit when the unheralded hosts took a shock lead through Scott Laird’s deflected 47th-minute strike.

But Ander Herrera equalised in the 65th with a fortuitous strike and Marouane Fellaini followed up his own rebound to make it 2-1 seven minutes later.

Wayne Rooney put the result beyond doubt with a penalty in the 88th after he was adjudged to have been tripped in the area by goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann. It was Rooney’s first goal in 2015, but replays showed he went down without any contact from Stuckmann.

United’s win sets up a fascinating last-eight tie at home to defending champions Arsenal on the weekend of March 7 and 8, and Van Gaal’s team will have to improve dramatically to stay on course for a first title under the Dutchman.

With Chelsea and Manchester City both having lost to lower-tier opposition already, the winner at Old Trafford will be a big favourite to lift the cup in May at Wembley.

“We showed an unbelievable team spirit,” Van Gaal told the BBC. “We changed the shape and that was the solution. We scored fantastic goals, a little bit lucky also I think.”

FA Cup quarter-final draw (Ties to be played over weekend of March 7/8): Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers; Bradford City v Reading; Manchester United v Arsenal; Aston Villa v West Bromwich Albion.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2015

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