Morning all
Arsenal are in Nottinghamshire today for a lunchtime fixture against Mansfield Town in the FA Cup. Nigel Clough’s side has done well to get this far but their journey has to end today and hopefully it will.
Mansfield Town sit around the middle of the league one table and have struggled to win games over the last month or so but in this competition, they’ve not had the same kind of problems. In the last round, despite going 1-0 down against Burnley at Turf Moor, they came back to win 2-1. That’s the kind of determination we’ll probably be up against today.
Regardless of the threat our opponents offer today, for the sake of our Premier League and Champions League challenge, wholesale changes are surely on the cards for this fixture. MLS is suspended for this fixture having picked up two bookings in previous rounds which is a great shame because he could have finally got a start in midfield.
There was no sign of Saliba, Odegaard, White, Rice, Zubimendi, Gabriel or Timber during Arsenal’s pre-match training session which I hope is an indication that they, or at least a number of them, won’t be involved in today’s match. 18yr RB/CB Jaden Dixon, 15yr RB/CM Mikael Yetna, Dowman, Salmon and Harriman-Annous were training though.
Adrian Clarke has assessed our FA Cup fifth-round opponents.
Nigel Clough has been a manager for 28 years, overseeing more than 1,500 matches, so Mikel Arteta is going head-to-head with a shrewd coach boasting vast experience. His team has had real continuity in recent years too, with many players staying with the Stags over a prolonged period. This means they will be organised, tactically disciplined and hardworking without the ball. Mansfield under Clough, consistently do the basics very well.
The 59-year-old has deployed eight different formations in 2025/26, so nothing is set in stone. His penchant for a back three has been strong in recent months though, so he may opt for an extra defender against us. Therefore, the most likely shape will be a 3-4-2-1, shifting into a 5-4-1 out of possession.
Defensively they are one of the best outfits in League 1, with central defenders Oshilaja, Blake-Tracey and Knoyle a unit they can rely on. In front of the back three, central midfielder Louis Reed is also a player to look out for. Everything Mansfield Town do, comes through the 28-year-old, who scored with a fabulous direct free kick when they knocked out Burnley in the fourth round. His technical quality is impressive.
As a team, our fifth-round opponents work hard on giving little away from corners and wide free kicks. Conceding just five set piece goals across the campaign, they will be well prepped for our strength at dead ball situations. Keeper Liam Roberts is potentially the Stags’ key man for this tie. He is not the tallest custodian, but his shot-stopping is highly regarded. In the third tier the Stags stopper has the second best save percentage of all the goalkeepers.
Today is probably the last time Mikel Arteta can go full throttle on rotation in my opinion. Madueke, Mosquera, Calafiori, Norgaard, Jesus and Kepa will surely start. I don’t think any of us expect, or want Arteta to throw a bunch of teenagers under the FA Cup bus but there could well be a case for Salmon to start as he’s already shown maturity in the moments he’s been on the pitch. Max Dowman too.
Ideally Odegaard and White would be fit to start but I think we’re more likely to see Eze again and one of Rice or Zubimendi in midfield although I hope I’m wrong. I’d love to see Havertz on the pitch at some stage today but only if he’s 100% fit because we need him for more than just one FA Cup fifth round match.
Our so called “second string” which isn’t really a second string at all, not these days, should be able to match, no, better a mid table Championship team. That’s not being disrespectful, just honest, especially as most of our players are internationals.
Mansfield Town have nothing to lose today but Arsenal do. Pride and a place in the quarterfinals…
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico.
Today’s match really should be an anxiety free game. Mansfield are only five points above the drop zone in league one.
Arteta would be wise to ignore Mansfield’s league position as they will be hungry for some kind of success, no doubt they will treat today’s game as their cup final. Rotation? Yes, but not wholesale changes to the starting eleven, that can happen only when, or if, we are comfortably in a winning position.
Morning Cicero.
I really don’t want to see Rice or Zubimendi on the pitch today, both are running on empty imo.
Nigel Clough:
“The last time I came across Mikel Arteta, I was at Burton and he was assistant to Pep Guardiola at Man City – and they beat us 9-0!”
“I’ve not seen him since then and I’m not particularly looking forward to seeing him this time, if it’s the truth!”
Nice preview,
I absolutely love the FA Cup but this has got to be our lowest priority of our remaining games.
I expect to see a mix of senior players with a few academy players maybe,
COYG
Kepa
Salmon-Norgaard-Mosquera-Hincapié
Madueke-Dowman-Havertz-Trossard-Martinellli
Jesus
(Setford-Dixon-Timber-Ibrahim-Eze-Saka-Gyökered-HarrimanAnnous)
… my uninformed guess this is; the setup will depend on Leandro’s exact place in it, Arsenal.com puts Hincapié both in the starting lineup, … and on the bench
Two Young Guns it is, Rico, about to start a Ro16 FA cup game for The Arsenal … even the wildest dreams get fulfilled sometimes, don’t they?
C’mon, lads, blow our minds!
Thanks Limey. I agree now we’re in the league cup final
I’m chuffed for them LG, hope they enjoy it and play well..
Afternoon Rico and all, looking forward to today’s match, hopefully a nice win and no injuries. as others have said, a few goals in the first half to break their spirit and then give a more time to our fringe players
Not Hincapie, Calafiori is left back.
There’s a plaque at Mansfield which reads:
“If you do not believe you can do it, then you have no chance at all.”
– Arsene Wenger
Hi Geoff.. Pitch looks worse than my lawn 🤣
No DM then 😳
Ignore me, I thought Norgaard was in defence. He’s not. Doh!
Good afternoon Rico and all
I dont like the look of that line up. Its a 3-4-3 for a start with Martinelli and Madueke as wingbacks. There is no spinal strength in midfield. Only creativity imo.
Oh I don’t like that, we’ve scored from open play. 😉
Nice goal but We look far too sloppy,
Yep Madueke got it. Very unfamiliar script as well scoring from open play. Highly against the narrative.
The formation and selection smacks of arrogance. As if Arteta couldn’t care less.
The formation is unbalanced in favour of attack.
Afternoon Devil.
Nice goal but a rather disjointed first half which with so many changes is understandable.
Jesus has been the standout but not for any positive reasons 😂
That Noni Madueke strike was Arsenal’s 100th goal of the season in all competitions.
The goals have been scored by 19 different players. The Gunners reached the total on April 20 last season which show how freely they have scored across the four competitions they are in.
Some boringly negative dark art relying team we are.
Trossard was injured seemingly. that is why he was subbed.
1-1 now. That is what you get for taking them lightly and choosing an unbalanced team.
more sloppiness has now cost us a goal.
That wasn’t in the script..
Get Jesus off, he’s an unhelpful passenger.
Bring on Gyokeres to play alongside Havertz.
Rotten for Salmon
With you there Cicero
Is Jesus playing ?
Wow! Eze with a stunner
Eze with power scores
He was on the team sheet Potter..
Norgaard carved the defence open to assist Eze.
Jesus is there? And captain?? lol
Ah, there’s Jesus…
Ahh you’ve finally seen Jesus?? Praise the Lord for blessing you in such a way. You’re a chosen one Rico
2 great goals, job done. It was never gonna be easy, was it? They’re a real team, these “Stags”. One more game, and Wembley here we wome again!
Off to Murrayfield now. Allez les Bleus! (think they’re gonna be in white today, actually)
a very lucky win,
Two-one, into the quarters. No sweat! 🔔🔔 😉
Mansfield have been good today. They can certainly be pleased with what they’ve put out there and they weren’t humiliated. They might even be disappointed they haven’t got more out of it and that tells you all you need to know.
The question is this?? Did we make them look good or where they good??
Devil our team selection and sloppiness helped make them look good.
Kepa MOTm for me
Is Jesus a “rabbit”?
He’s not visible in the game, and suddenly his image appears, only to disappear as if by magic.
Kepa offers little security in my opinion.
Another poor game from Arsenal, lacking spirit and spark.
Things are getting complicated and worrying.
Mansfield goalie easily MOTM for me. Heavy muddy pitch, did what we needed to. Dowman unlucky with 2 good saves. Eze showing class for the finish, I do wonder if our best use of him is a sub when we cant break through, as he’s never going to control a game, not that type of player.
No, it was never going to be easy. The emotion, the journey Mansfield were on and many Arsenal changes. Credit to the home team as they gave everything but in the end, two great goals won the day..
Was is just me who thought Norgaard was a tad underwhelming today?
Everyone was a tad underwhelming except Jesus. He wasnt a tad. He was very underwhelming.
Fingers crossed Newcastle and Wrexham do a good job tonight. Not holding my breath but still hopeful
I thought Dowman was excellent, fearless and very talented. Our defence was all at sea, not surprising when we look at the mix-and-match selection.
Please Mikel put Jesus at the back of the drawer and lock it securely. A total liability.
I too thought Dowman was excellent, a real live wire with oddles of talent.
Jesus needs selling in the summer.
I doubt if we could give him away, Rice o
Rico not Rice O
Probably not Cicero, hopefully he’ll return to Brazil.
Agree re Trossard’s, I like Calafiori but he’s a bit clumsy and fragile. Hincapie is my preferred left back. I read a few days ago that Norgaard wants a move for more playing time. True or not I don’t know.
No problem Stuart. My money is on India..
Evening Gooners, yeah, what should have been a stress free stroll turned out to be unnecessarily awkward, mainly because of an unfamiliar defence and the kind of finishing that has managers pulling their hair out.
Salmon and Dowman were pluses, Hincapie was a plus, Eze was a plus, Timber was a plus, the rest were on the spectrum between average, disappointing to downright awful, but we won so I don’t care.
Two games from Wembley, three wins from silverware. I can live with that…
Reckon it will be more than just Jesus , I can see Trossard and possibly Calafiori going too. The story about the latter wanting to go back to Italy broke last week
Thanks Rico. I hope you don’t mind if I occasionally go off piste…
Hoo! LG, 13 tries and 90 points. You must have choked on your baguette, mate. Can’t see you not beating the poms, tho’.
Kevski, fancy us v the Indians in the T20?
Mansfield. The Stags played well, extending the romantic narrative of the FA Cup. From our perspective, the best thing we can say is, we are in the quarter finals.
Add to that, two brilliantly taken goals (including our hundredth in all games this season) and two brilliant teenagers.
I think Stu that you’ll beat the Indians because India will be overwhelming favourites so you can play without any pressure.
What about that Calafiori story Potter, I’ve not seen anything?
We paid Bologna £33.6 million for him, with some add ons. So we’d need to get our money back, at least, and probably have to pay him off for the drop in salary, but if he wanted to go then I’m sure finances could be arranged. The biggest problem is getting an Italian club to part with around £35m/£40m for him, when they probably want to pay feck all.
He’s under contract until 2029 so arrivederci Serie A.
You may well earn a rupee or two, Rico, but surely you see we Kiwi’s are in a similar boat to the Arsenal having finished our last few finals as runners up, (tho’ we did beat the Indians in Nairobi in 2000), hence deserving of your empathetic support?
Rico, I’m not surprised to hear that Norgaard wants a move, he’d be a great signing for one of the three promoted clubs from the Championship next summer. I’ve got a hunch we’ll be in for Elliott Anderson if the price isn’t too inflated, the Tonali rumours are perfect camouflage.
Cala actually stated that he would like to return to Italy at some stage, intimating that it would be later in his career, when his body can’t cope with the demands of the Premiership, and where he can appreciate longer sunshine hours and wine that costs less than water.
Stop picking on poor Jesus, it’s not his fault, we should be blaming the person who photo shopped him in and AI as I am sure I sore him in the grandstand watching,
I don’t know about photo shopped in, but I do think he air brushed himself out of the game. Geoff
It was fun, though, Stu.
Murrayfield bathed in glorious winter sunshine, and saloon-door defending was all over the pitch, as though the boys thought they were playing a “Barbarians” game …
Darcy Graham is some winger, and had the time of his life against Bielle-Biarrey, no less. Behind their scrum (would you believe it?), they had a 100% fit and in-form Ben White – whose spot-on decisions hurt us big time. He certainly was for something in Dupont’s (who, as a Toulon player, he knows very well) worst performance in “Bleu”, ever.
As for the next WC, I suspect this edition of the 6 Nations will have made your new guy Rennie – as well as the other Upside Down’s nations’ managers – supremely confident, won’t it?
Me neither Kev, he’s been under used imo. Imo he’s better than just sitting on the bench for the majority of a season. Not suggesting he’s a ‘first on the team sheet’ player but he could have been used more than he has.
Stuart, whoever wins, it’s should be an entertaining game.
Morning all.
New post up.