United fight back to earn Arsenal quarter-final

Wayne Rooney won a controversial penalty for United

Manchester United will face Arsenal at home in the FA Cup quarter-finals after a come-from-behind 3-1 win at Preston North End.

The Premier League giants were disappointing in the opening half against their League One opponents at Deepdale when they failed to engineer a single shot on target.

Simon Grayson's side managed just two efforts from distance which didn't trouble David De Gea in the United goal.

The cup-tie burst into life in the second half when Scott Laird put the hosts in front, but it only served to wake the United players from their slumber.

Goals from Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and a late Wayne Rooney penalty sealed their place in the sixth round and set up a tasty clash with Arsene Wenger's Gunners at Old Trafford.

Joe Garner had the first of two shots on target for Preston in the first half in the ninth minute but scuffed his effort at De Gea who saved comfortably.

On 15 minutes United won a free kick in a dangerous position, to the right of goal, with Angel Di Maria taking it ahead of Rooney.

And while the 60 million Argentinian curled his effort over the defensive wall, it dropped just wide of the upright.

United continued to enjoy more possession and Di Maria lifted a ball over the top for Rooney to try and run onto but it had too much pace on the pass which allowed Thorsten Stuckmann to gather.

Preston had the final word in first half stoppage time but Paul Gallagher's tame effort from 25 yards failed to trouble De Gea.

The game burst into life just two minutes into the second half when Preston went in front.

Kevin Davies picked the run of Laird down the left channel and he advanced to the edge of the area before hitting a left-foot shot which took a slight nick off Antonio Valencia and somehow went under the dive of De Gea.

United had their first effort on target in the game on 58 minutes when Di Maria let fly from almost 30 yards but it was straight at Stuckmann.

A minute late Valencia's cross form the left was headed away by Tom Clarke with Fellaini waiting behind to score, while Paul Huntington denied the United man moments later with a good challenge in front of his own goal.

At the other end Garner managed to get a free header just inside the United area but his effort lacked the power to trouble De Gea.

United did get level on 65 minutes in controversial fashion as Ashley Young picked out Herrera in the middle from the right and he side-stepped a challenge before hitting a left-foot effort which went in off the post.

However Rooney was stood in an offside position in front of Stuckmann which left the home players claiming he was interfering in play, but referee Phil Dowd ignored their pleas and the goal stood.

Preston went close to re-taking the lead on 70 minutes when Gallagher curled a free kick over the United wall just over the bar, before United went in front three minutes later.

Valencia chipped the ball to the back post from the right and Fellaini's back post header was saved by Stuckmann, but the Belgian was on hand to fire the rebound into the net.

Fellaini almost carved open a third inside the area on 77 minutes but his goal-bound effort was blocked by a defender on the six-yard line, before substitute Kyel Reid flashed a shot just wide at the other end.

On 83 minutes Callum Robinson intercepted a poor pass from Valencia but shot straight at De Gea from 25 yards.

However United wrapped up the win two minutes from time when Rooney smashed in a right-foot penalty after he was brought down inside the area by Stuckmann.

The hosts almost secured a consolation goal in injury time but Young cleared off the line after De Gea got a hand to Laird's header from a right-wing corner.