Arsenal Survives FA Cup Scare vs Mansfield

The 2-1 victory was secured by a thumping strike from substitute Eberechi Eze after Noni Madueke's opener was cancelled out by a Will Evans goal for Mansfield. The Premier League leaders made nine changes for the trip to the League One side, a team 16 places below them in the football pyramid. The match marked a significant milestone for Mansfield Town, who were competing in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1975. Their journey to this stage included a notable fourth-round upset, where they defeated Premier League side Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor. For Arsenal, the victory keeps their hopes of a historic quadruple alive and marks their first quarter-final appearance since they last won the competition in 2020 under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners hold the record for the most FA Cup wins, having lifted the trophy 14 times. The game was a landmark moment for Arsenal's youth, as 16-year-old Max Dowman became the club's youngest-ever player in the FA Cup. He and fellow 16-year-old Marli Salmon both started, making Arsenal the first Premier League side to start two players aged 16 or under in any competition. Dowman, on his first senior appearance since returning from an ankle injury, delivered a man-of-the-match performance. Salmon, who made his senior debut in the Champions League in December 2025, had a more challenging game, making an error that led to Mansfield's equalizer. The narrow win came against a Mansfield side that last faced Arsenal 97 years ago, in a 1929 FA Cup tie which Arsenal also won. The spirited performance from the Stags at their sold-out One Call Stadium earned praise from Mikel Arteta, who described it as a "proper FA Cup game." Following the cup tie, Arsenal's focus shifts to a busy schedule, including a Champions League last-16 match against Bayer Leverkusen and a Premier League clash with Everton. The draw for the FA Cup quarter-finals is set to take place on the following Monday.