Man United complain to the FA after Arsenal fail to give them full 9,000 away allocation for next month’s FA Cup third-round tie

Manchester United have contacted the FA to raise concerns after Arsenal failed to provide them with the full allocation for their cup tie at the Emirates next month.

The two Premier League giants meet in the clash of the round on January 12 and, under competition rules, United are entitled to 15 per cent of the stadium’s 60,000 capacity.

That means that around 9,000 tickets should be heading to Manchester. However, Mail Sport understands that – much to United’s frustration – significantly fewer have actually been offered.

Talks have taken place between the rival clubs but the current proposed figure, thought to be short of 8,000, is not acceptable to Old Trafford officials who have now, as a last resort, escalated their case to the FA.

Insiders have disclosed that United feel that the Emirates is a big, modern stadium and that the kick-off for the game has been brought forward to 3pm to help swerve any crowd issues.

However, they have continued to face obstacles and – despite allowing the Gunners time to meet their expectations – have now reluctantly taken their case to the authorities. United declined to comment but the view within the club is that they feel they have to fight for their fans and for the correct allocation.

Arsenal failed to give United their full 9,000 allocation for next month’s game

It is not the first time United have faced issues with allocations for matches in the capital. In 2022 the Manchester united Supporters’ Trust threatened legal action after a reduced number was offered for a Premier League match at Chelsea over policing concerns.

Arsenal and the FA have been contacted for comment.