Stags Edged By Arsenal In Cup

Mansfield Town 1-2 Arsenal (07.03.2026) FA Cup Round Five

Despite exiting the FA Cup, it was an afternoon to remember for EFL League One side, Mansfield Town, as the Radford’s welcomed the Premier League’s quadruple hopefuls, Arsenal, to the One Call Stadium.

It was the first time the two sides had met in some 97 years, and only the second time they’ve ever locked horns, but Nigel Clough’s Stags gave their all against Mikel Arteta’s charges that were made to fight for progression.

Will Evans will take a lot of the credit for coming off the bench and netting a deserved equaliser at the start of the second half, as will Rhys Oates who put in an Emirates FA Cup Man of the Match performance against his boyhood club, but to a man they all played their part.

Both sides created early opportunities, with back lines holding firm, the hosting Stags first real effort coming from an audacious chipped attempt by Tyler Roberts, but Kepa Arrizabalaga, in the visiting goal, managed to read it and claim the ball.

Oates and Roberts both saw efforts flash past Arrizabalaga’s upright as the Stags pushed hard for an opener which never arrived; the Gunners found themselves forced into an early charge, Arteta bringing on Piero Hincapie for Leandro Trossard as the half wore on.

Minutes later, the hosts led, Madueke collecting the ball and curling home from just outside the box, undoing all the hard work in which the Stags had built up, the Gunners leading by one at the break.

Stags boss, Clough, made one change at the start of the second period, bringing on Will Evans for Tyler Roberts, and it paid instant dividends, the Stags number eleven picking up a wayward pass by the Arsenal defence, beat Cristhian Mosquera, and, having made run for goal, fired a lovely shot beyond Arrizabalaga, and send the majority of the 9,260 crowd into raptures.

Arsenal youngster, 16-yesr-old Max Dowman, was enjoying himself in the middle of the park, he seeing an effort saved well by Liam Roberts in the home goal, Arteta naming both he, and fellow teen, Marli Salmon, in the starting line-up.

Salmon was replaced by Jurrien Timber, and Dowman by Bukayo Saka, as the game wore on, Arteta bringing on ‘bigger names’ to see the tie out; one of those second half changes, the arrival of 2025 FA Cup winner, Eberechi Eze, proved instantly decisive.

Eze came on for Kai Havertz in the 62 minute and, within four minutes of taking the field, made himself known to the Stags faithful, collecting the ball around the edge of the box, and smashing it past Roberts in the home goal from what proved the winner.

Saka came close to adding a third for the visitors late on, but Roberts was again equal to it, whilst Tottenham Hotspur loanee, Oliver Irow, saw a stoppage time attempt land straight in the arms of the grateful Arrizabalaga.

Another win for the Gunners keeps their hopes of the quadruple alive, and booked themselves a spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2020, when they won the trophy in Arteta’s first season at the helm.

For Mansfield meanwhile, it’s been a cup run to remember, to cherish, but now it’s back to league duty, and the hope of keeping themselves out of the relegation dogfight at the bottom end of the League One table.

MANSFIELD TOWN – Liam Roberts, Kyle Knoyle (Elliott Hewitt, 87), Deji Oshilaja, Frazer Blake-Tracy, Lucas Akins, Jon Russell, Louis Reed (capt), George Abbott (Aaron Lewis, 62), Stephen McLaughlin (Olive Irow, 81), Rhys Oates (Victor Adeboyejo, 81), Tyler Roberts (Will Evans, 46)

Although sitting ninth bottom, manager Clough sees his side just five points off fourth bottom Leyton Orient, with around a dozen to play; winless in their last nine league outings Mansfield will host play-off hopefuls Reading on Tuesday (10 March) night, before welcoming mid-table Barnsley to the One Call Stadium this coming Saturday (14 March) afternoon.