Eberechi Eze’s previous FA Cup goal delivered one of the famous old competition’s most cherished upsets in recent years. His next game could prevent one of the greatest games of all time.
Eze remains on course to win the FA Cup in successive years with different clubs, while Arsenal extend their pursuit of a quadruple into the latter stages of the season.
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However, it’s no surprise to imagine that the opponents in the quarter-finals could be Mansfield Town, with East Midlands boss Clough pulling off another miracle. “You have a nagging feeling that we might have broken it,” Nigel Clough said.
The 16th-placed side in the league forced Mikel Arteta to change his formation and make defensive changes, bringing on not only Eze but Piero Hincapie, Jurien Timber and Bukayo Saka. They had the offensive intent to score 10 shots in the first half, the strength to make a comeback, and the spirit to tie the game on the oldest professional football field in the world.
Mansfield has not played for Arsenal in 97 years. They had an afternoon they would never forget. “It’s a great moment,” Arteta said. “I think this game embodies the history of the FA Cup, its difficulty and its beauty.”
The problem was solved by the man who scored in the final against Manchester City at Crystal Palace in May.
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There is reason to think that Arsenal is the best team in Europe this season. They hardly look like Mansfield’s best team in that regard. Clough’s collection of discarded players and free transfers saw their cup run ultimately ended by two players who cost Arsenal £116m last summer: Noni Madueke, £48m, and Eze, £68m.
Neither is Arteta’s strongest side, which speaks to the depth he possesses as part of Arsenal’s strategy in the transfer market. They scored two high-quality goals: Madduk curled a 20-yard shot away from goalkeeper Liam Roberts, and Eze turned and fired from the edge of the box into the top corner.
They are needed. Even in stoppage time, Mansfield substitute Oliver Ayrault headed home to send the game into overtime. A cup tie against Harrogate, currently bottom of the Football League, could come as a surprise to Arsenal, who are top of the Premier League. Mansfield were giant killers, knocking out Sheffield United and Burnley; now they’ve terrorized the biggest of them all.
Mansfield’s performance was outstanding (Getty Images)
Mansfield was unstoppable. Three days ago, during Arsenal’s last game, Fabian Huerzel claimed that only one team wanted to play football. Two of them did so at One Call Stadium: 18-19 shots on goal showed just how much Mansfield contributed. “We were surprised by the amount we created,” Clough admits.
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Arsenal arguably had the better chances, with Kyle Neuer making an excellent save from Gabriel Jesus’ header in the 1-1 draw, while Liam Roberts netted a hat-trick, denying Max Dowman’s hat-trick and Saka made a fine save.
However, both times the breakthrough came only after Arteta intervened. Sometimes considered too negative, the Spaniard tried to be too positive this time around. It has the potential to backfire. He tried to use Maduek and Gabriel Martinelli as full-backs in a 3-1-5-1 system. Arteta joked that they only had 10 minutes of formation training.
His back three included a boy making his first start; Arsenal didn’t need as many number 10s at the back but they were vulnerable to Mansfield’s onslaught. Leandro Trossard’s injury prompted Arteta to reshuffle his formation, bringing on centre-back Piero Hincappi, in search of a solid base. Three minutes later, Maduk scored. Then, after Mansfield equalized, Arteta sent on Eze. He scored four minutes after his introduction.
Arteta was forced into a change of form and had to send out some of his best players to see off Mansfield (Cody Froggatt/PA Wire)
Arteta showed boldness in his selection of main players from the beginning. Arsenal became the first Premier League team to start two players aged 16 or under, but their performance was very different. Dauman was impressive in just his second senior start, effortlessly slicing past defenders and looking the best player on the pitch. “I think he’s outstanding,” Arteta said.
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But it was a challenging debut for Marli Salmon. The rookie was exposed by Arteta’s initial use of a back three. At the time he was terrified of Reese Oates. He was responsible for Will Evans’ equalizer. “I can feel he has a responsibility,” Arteta said. “But everyone in that room made a mistake.”
Max Dowman impressed in just his second senior start and first since being sidelined with injury in November (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Evans latched on to Salmon’s loose pass, advanced and fired past Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Welshman was an FA Cup goalscorer against Manchester United during his Newport days and is clearly capable of rising to the occasion. Mansfield borrowed the tune from Bruce Springsteen and the lyrics would be perfect for Phil Foden. “Will Evans is on fire,” they sang.
The same goes for Oates, a forward whose resume includes Gainsborough, Grimsby and Gateshead. The same goes for Louis Reed, the goalscorer at Bramall Lane and Turf Moor and the player denied by Kepa Arrizabalaga. Mansfield was ruthless. “If we go out, we’ll go out and try,” Clough rationalized. His side certainly did.
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Their goal fell to former Bala Town striker Evans. It’s one of those cliches of the time, but they all serve as reminders of the game’s enduring appeal. The course was muddy, giving it a retro feel. There was a scramble in the crowded penalty area. A gap flew into the backyard of a townhouse.
In the end, Mansfield reached the fifth round for the first time since the 1970s. “It’s a good job we didn’t get the job done,” Clough said with a smile, aware of the backlog of Division I games. “We’re going to have a huge fixation problem.”
