Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal: Eze sinks spirited Stags to reach FA Cup quarter final | OneFootball

Premier League leaders Arsenal had to call upon their first-team regulars to see off a spirited Mansfield side 2-1 at Field Mill and reach the FA Cup quarter finals.

Noni Madueke lashed into the top right corner after the Stags had made a competitive start, and the hosts were duly rewarded as Will Evans latched on to a poor pass deep in Gunners territory and fired past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

With both teams searching for a second, Eberechi Eze blasted what would prove to be the winner into the top right corner, to deny Nigel Clough’s side another upset in their bid for a first FA Cup since 2020.

As it happened

Teenage sensation Max Dowman almost opened the scoring four minutes in when goalkeeper Liam Roberts gifted him the ball with a sloppy pass, but he made up for it by saving with his feet to keep out the 16-year-old.

Fueled by their shock win over Burnley in round four, the hosts were playing without fear and tested Kepa for the first time as Tyler Roberts attempted a chip from the edge of the box which the Spaniard caught.

But two huge chances then went amiss, as veteran striker Rhys Oates got the better of Cristian Mosquera and cut it back from the byline towards Lewis Reed.

His shot was saved, but Oates picked up the pieces after the Gunners gave the ball away and saw his curling effort deflect not far wide of goal in what was proving to be an uncomfortable 15 minutes for the Premier League leaders.

Those nerves were nearly settled when Madueke’s corner from the right struck the post just before the half-hour mark, with Dowman failing to test Roberts with a weak effort after sparking a counter attack.

Oates was enjoying his time up top and was Mansfield’s focal point in attack, showing great strength in reaching the byline on the right and managing to get the low cross in only for Kepa to secure it in his gloves.

Mikel Arteta was forced into an early change as Leandro Trossard hobbled off injured, bringing on Piero Hincapié as his replacement – the silver lining being Arsenal could return to a more familiar back four shape.

Indeed, Madueke could focus more on his attacking duties and wasn’t to be denied after Roberts parried his initial shot from 20 yards out, arrowing a great effort into the top right after Gabriel Martinelli found him still in space.

It was a goal worthy of being the Gunners’ 100th in all competitions this season, becoming the first Premier League club to pass the century mark – joining the company of Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona.

Arsenal were unbeaten since December 2023 when scoring first on the road, but this record would look far from safe merely minutes into the second half when substitute Will Evans fired home the equalizer under Kepa.

It was a poor pass back towards Mosquera by 16-year-old centre-back Marli Salmon, and the young prospect was punished by Evans – formerly a farmer in Wales before transitioning to professional football.

Mansfield met the Gunners’ push for a second head on, quite literally as Kyle Knoyle was on hand to head a half-saved effort towards goal by Gabriel Jesus off the line after Max Dowman squared the ball back across goal.

But after calling more Premier League firepower off the bench in the form of attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, the 27-year-old turned towards goal after Christian Noregaard picked him out and lashed a piledriver into the net.

Manfsield may have been unable to haul themselves level for a second time, but they left the field lapping up applause from the home end after a great performance against a side still within reach of a historic quadruple.

Mansfield analysis: cup performance will push Stags forward in bid to beat the drop

We all know and love what the FA Cup is famed for, and while Mansfield fell short of yet another huge upset against a Premier League side, they’ll want to push on and inject their league performances with what they offered today.

Unlike National League North side Macclesfield Town, who enjoyed a run of four wins in five matches after dumping holders Crystal Palace out of the cup, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Nigel Clough since he beat Burnley.

The Stags failed to win their four matches in League Two between their fourth round victory and Arsenal clash, and sit 16th in the table with only a five-point buffer to the bottom four.

The fourth tier is arguably the most unforgiving in English football, one that relegates four teams down to League Two, and dips in form lasting four or five matches will not go unpunished.

But after putting in this kind of performance against the best team in Europe right now, there’s no real reason why Mansfield can’t bring the same level of quality to their bid to avoid a relegation dogfight.

Striker Ryan Oates had a superb afternoon, constantly finding space in the channels when Arsenal were operating as a back three, and there were plenty of cool heads in midfield to avoid any silly errors.

And those errors came from their opponents, as Will Evans took his chance to impact the game by leaping onto a poor pass from Marli Salmon.

With winnable games against Reading and mid-table Barnsley before a trip to promotion chasers Bradford City, Mansfield will surely benefit from their fearless approach this afternoon.

Arsenal analysis: Trossard injury exposes Arsenal fragility in a back three

Make no mistake, Arsenal may top the Premier League and have finished first in the league phase of the Champions League, but Mansfield gave them a real run for their money.

Mikel Arteta opted for an unusual set up by the Gunners’ standards, given how unflappable his approach has been over the past few seasons, drafting16-year-old Marli Salmon, Riccardo Calafiori, and Cristian Mosquera into a back three.

The magic of the FA Cup often translates to there not being any reasonable explanation for the underdogs dumping out a team several leagues above them, but this was just not the case today.

Arsenal were constantly caught unable to close off the wide spaces effectively, where 31-year-old Rhys Oates often found himself on the ball and causing problems.

Save for Salmon’s error leading to Mansfield’s equalizer, the injury to Leandro Trossard forcing Arteta to bring on Piero Hincapié allowed the Gunners to move back to their more familiar back four formation, and most of their issues in the first half disappeared.

What if they had to employ the same formation against Leverkusen next week, or in their pivotal game against title rivals Manchester City?

The likes of Gabriel and William Saliba would be the first names on the team sheet, but the same amount of work on the defensive side would still be required from Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, both of whom are strictly attacking-minded wingers.

While Arsenal are one of if not the best-drilled side in Europe, Mansfield giving them plenty to think about before half time might go to show the cost of focusing on one system alone.

If anything, Mikel Arteta will likely be relieved the choice of formation didn’t cost them losing out on the chance at lifting a first FA Cup in six years.