Mansfield Town, famously known as the Stags, are preparing for a big clash in their FA Cup journey as they host Premier League leaders Arsenal in a fifth-round tie. The game will bring back memories for their manager, Nigel Clough, who was part of a 2-0 defeat to the Gunners when his father, the legendary Brian Clough, managed his final game for Nottingham Forest.
Nigel Clough has had some words of caution for his side ahead of this mammoth clash with Arsenal, as he emphasised the need to defend set-pieces better. Meanwhile, Mansfield Town have had a good run so far in the FA Cup, defeating Premier League side Burnley in the previous round, and now anticipate an even sterner test against the Gunners.
Arsenal were in the headlines before the game against Brighton & Hove Albion and after it, as Mikel Arteta’s side secured a defensively solid 1-0 win at the Amex. The media have been behind them, as have some managers in the Premier League, for the way the North London outfit go about playing their football, but Arteta barely showed any inclination to pay attention to it.
Arsenal secured the important win and moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, courtesy of Manchester City dropping points at home to Nottingham Forest. With that crucial result secured, Arteta will now focus on the FA Cup in a bid to move into the quarter-finals of the competition, following victories over Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic in the previous rounds.
Mansfield Town will be without skipper Ryan Sweeney, who misses out with a hamstring problem, while fellow defender Baily Cargill is also out of contention with a similar issue. The latter, however, will be out for the remainder of the campaign.
Mansfield’s problems are largely defensive, as another defender, Luke Bolton, was withdrawn after 13 minutes in the clash against Rotherham United, and his availability for the weekend is in serious doubt.
Nigel Clough will set up with a back three, focusing on width through the wing-backs. Harry Lewis and Louis Reed will manage the midfield setup, while Rhys Oates will lead the line for Mansfield Town against Arsenal on Saturday.
Probable Line-up (3-4-2-1): Roberts; Blake-Tracy, Knoyle, Oshilaja; Akins, Lewis, Reed, McLaughlin; Roberts, Evans; Oates
Mikel Arteta will use this game to make wholesale changes to his line-up, allowing some much-needed rest for his key starters ahead of next week’s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen. There is a chance that he could retain Cristhian Mosquera, although the Spaniard could feature at right-back.
Ben White is expected to remain out, and playing Jurrien Timber makes little sense for this game, meaning Mosquera could fill in at right-back. The game could also see Arteta bring in Marli Salmon to the backline, while Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are expected to feature at the back, with Myles Lewis-Skelly suspended for this one.
Christian Norgaard is surely pencilled in for a start, as Arteta will want to rest Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi this weekend. Eberechi Eze could be given a place in midfield, while Kai Havertz could assume the advanced role behind the striker.
Noni Madueke is expected to replace Bukayo Saka out wide on the right, while Gabriel Martinelli could be retained on the left flank. Gabriel Jesus could lead the line for Arsenal, as Arteta can afford to rest Viktor Gyokeres.
Probable Line-up (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Mosquera, Salmon, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly; Norgaard, Eze; Madueke, Havertz, Martinelli; Jesus
The prolonged absence of the German forward has been a big miss for Arsenal, not only this season but also for a large chunk of the previous campaign. However, with Mikel Arteta carefully managing his reintegration into the setup, Havertz has already produced some key performances in brief appearances.
Saturday will be a good chance for Havertz to gain match sharpness ahead of a crucial period for Arsenal. With Champions League games coming up, along with league fixtures and the cup final, Arteta will want the 26-year-old to be available and in the best possible shape, which makes the Mansfield game important for the German.
Mansfield Town will take inspiration from Plymouth Argyle’s performance in the FA Cup last season to oust Liverpool. While an upset of this sort in football is always possible, the reality of the situation is starkly different, considering the form Arsenal are currently in.
Mikel Arteta will be able to rotate heavily, and the freshness of his squad’s fringe players should prove too much for Mansfield Town to handle. The Gunners are widely expected to wrap this game up with a comfortable performance and a convincing scoreline to move into the quarter-finals.
