Arsenal beat third-tier Mansfield Town 2-1 to move into the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after Eberechi Eze scored a second-half winner for the Premier League leaders.
Mikel Arteta named a much-changed side, starting teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, as Arsenal became the first Premier League side to start a competitive game with two players aged 16 or under in any competition.
Feeding off a raucous home crowd, Mansfield created several early chances to unsettle Arsenal, but it was the top-flight club that went 1-0 up when Noni Madueke curled a powerful finish into the far corner.
Mansfield substitute Will Evans capitalised on poor defending to Ãequalise early in the second half, but Arsenal regained their lead when Eze fired a thunderbolt from the edge of the box to silence the crowd at Field Mill. Read the game back below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium.
Mansfield vs Arsenal latest news
- GOAL! Eze rocket puts Gunners back in front
- GOAL! Evans draws the Stags level
- GOAL! Madueke sweeps home the opener
Full-time!
14:19 , Alex Young97min: Arsenal are into the FA Cup quarter-finals!
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
14:10 , Alex Young95min: Arsenal fans in loud voice as the seconds tick down.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
14:07 , Alex Young93min: Mansfield still huffing and puffing. Evans is everywhere, beautifully bringing down a long ball forward on the outside of his boot before Dixon clears.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
14:04 , Alex Young91min: Six minutes added on.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
14:03 , Alex Young89min: Madueke is still full of running, though, and wins a late corner for Arsenal.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
14:02 , Alex Young87min: Evans goes in late on Eze near the halfway line. A tired challenge, that.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
13:57 , Alex Young83min: Saka denied by Roberts’ right boot after a fine run.
Mansfield holding on at the moment.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
13:55 , Alex Young80min: McLaughlin throws himself into the area after a challenge by Madueke.
A clear dive and he is greeted to “same old Mansfield, always cheating” from the away fans.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
13:50 , Alex Young77min: Arteta isn’t taking any risks and Calafiori is withdrawn, replaced by youngster Dixon.
Saka replaces the impressive Dowman.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
13:50 , Alex Young76min: Concern for Calafiori, who hits the deck after an awkward step when clearing the ball.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
13:48 , Alex Young74min: A great pass from Martinelli sets Madueke into the area, but Mansfield shepherd the ball away from danger.
Mansfield 1-2 Arsenal
13:45 , Alex Young70min: Mansfield have reacted well to going behind, forcing a few corners.
GOAL!
13:41 , Alex Young66min: Arsenal back in front, and it’s a thumping hit from Eze!
Norgaard does well to carve open a space for Eze to thwack the ball home from the edge of the area.
Mansfield 1-1 Arsenal
13:35 , Alex Young61min: VAR say no penalty.
Salmon and Havertz are replaced by Timber and Eze.
Mansfield 1-1 Arsenal
13:35 , Alex Young60min: Big calls for a Mansfield penalty as Abbott goes down in the area, the referee waves away the protests but VAR will take a look.
Reed is then booked for a challenge in the build-up.
Mansfield 1-1 Arsenal
13:34 , Alex Young59min: The home fans have had such a lift since the goal.
Mansfield 1-1 Arsenal
13:32 , Alex Young57min: Arsenal are starting to camp out in Mansfield half. A long half an hour or so for the hosts.
Mansfield 1-1 Arsenal
13:30 , Alex Young55min: Madueke whips in the cross, which Havertz meets and sends over.
Mansfield 1-1 Arsenal
13:30 , Alex Young53min: A great attempt from Dowman forces an Arsenal corner.
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
13:28 , Alex YoungNot exactly sure why Mosquera decided to just stand there and wait for Evans to get to that ball first.
Good finish from the Mansfield man but it's such passive defending.
GOAL!
13:25 , Alex Young50min: Mansfield are level!
A terrible pass from Salmon leaves Mosquera on the back foot, and substitute Evans races past him before firing low underneath Kepa.
Mansfield 0-1 Arsenal
13:22 , Alex Young48min: A decent cross from Dowman toward Havertz, which is knocked behind for a corner.
Second half
13:19 , Alex Young46min: Back underway.
A change for Mansfield at the break as Evans replaces Tyler Roberts.
Arsenal looked far more comfortable after opening the scoring. Looks like a long way back for Mansfield now.
Madueke - with Arsenal's 100th goal of the season - separates the two sides.
Dowman has, again, caught the eye. Mansfield not out of this yet, though.
Half-time!
13:03 , Alex Young48min: There’s the whistle.
Mansfield 0-1 Arsenal
13:03 , Alex Young47min: McLaughlin with a great delivery toward Akins, but cannot keep the effort down.
Mansfield 0-1 Arsenal
13:02 , Alex Young46min: Two minutes added on.
Mansfield 0-1 Arsenal
13:00 , Alex Young43min: A tough time for Mansfield to concede. Arsenal’s nerves will be settled.
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
12:59 , Alex YoungMadueke's end product can be frustrating but that's a brilliant strike into the top corner. You'd expect Arsenal to take control of things from here after a fairly shaky half.
GOAL!
12:57 , Alex Young40min: A change of shape and, bang, the opening goal!
Madueke breaks the deadlock, sweeping home from just inside the penalty area after being found by Martinelli.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:55 , Alex Young38min: Hincapie is on, and goes to central defence as Calafiori moves to left-back.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:53 , Alex Young36min: Hincapie is being readied to come on, which would prompt a change of shape for Arsenal.
Which is no bad thing.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:53 , Alex Young35min: Concern for Trossard, who has gone down.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:50 , Alex Young33min: Another promising attack as Oates gets in behind Calafiori. Kepa alert to cut out a low cross into the six-yard box.
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
12:47 , Alex YoungDowman should have scored that chance, but even still he's been Arsenal's best player by a margin.
Perfectly-weighted passes, lovely footwork, using his body to draw fouls. Ridiculous that he's only 16.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:46 , Alex Young29min: Dowman with another shot on target, but again his composure lets him down when unmarked in the centre.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:44 , Alex Young27min: Half-hearted calls for an Arsenal penalty as Madueke’s cross hits Blake-Tracey in the chest.
The corner comes, but Mansfield clear at the second attempt.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:42 , Alex Young25min: Havertz with a pop at goal, which is saved, but play is brought back for a foul on Akins. Looked a tad soft.
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
12:37 , Alex YoungThe bobbly pitch isn't helping, but Arsenal have just looked so scruffy in these opening 20 minutes.
Mansfield more than holding their own and could well be in front. The Gunners are struggling to get going in this unusual shape.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:36 , Alex Young20min: Cries for a foul on Oates, as Calafiori goes through the back of him on the edge of the Arsenal box, but nothing doing.
Arsenal had left him completely unmarked on the halfway line. Bizarre.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:34 , Alex Young16min: Arsenal’s change in formation has not helped them at all today.
Arteta’s desire to get as many attackers in as possible could prove an error.
Long way to go.
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
12:30 , Alex YoungRagged at the back from Arsenal there.
First Mosquera gets it all wrong and is lucky not to concede a penalty, before Salmon dives in and gets nowhere near the ball.
Mansfield growing in confidence, particularly after the goalmouth scramble that follows.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:29 , Alex Young12min: Two great chances for Mansfield after fine work from Oates, to force two saves from Kepa.
Abbott, on loan from Spurs, then takes a corner which causes panic at the back.
Arsenal are nervous.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:27 , Alex Young11min: Another big save from Roberts, to deny Havertz from close range, but Jesus was offside in the build-up.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:27 , Alex Young10min: Mansfield won’t be entirely disheartened by the opening stages here.
They are plenty busy in defence, but do hold a threat going forward too.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:23 , Alex Young7min: A few quick corners for Arsenal, which come to nothing.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:21 , Alex Young5min: Dowman should score!
Slack passing from Mansfield gives the youngster the space to breeze through and into the area, but fires straight at Roberts.
He will be very frustrated by that.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:20 , Alex Young4min: There is VAR in place today, which is a first at Mansfield.
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
12:19 , Alex YoungWe've picked up right from where we left off at the Amex on Wednesday night. Arsenal win a few early fouls and there's loud boos from the home fans.
Good to be back.
Mansfield 0-0 Arsenal
12:18 , Alex Young2min: It looks like three at the back for Arsenal, with Norgaard seemingly the holding midfielder.
Havertz and Jesus up front.
Kick-off!
12:16 , Alex Young1min: Here we go!
Here come the teams.
Mansfield are still heavily watering the pitch, and I can tell you that it certainly does not need it.
Not long to go now. The Mansfield fans are serenading the Arsenal players warming up with “second again, ole, ole!”
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
12:01 , Alex YoungNorgaard has warmed up a bit with the three defenders, then he joined the rest of the side for their shooting drills.
Looks like his position is going to be very fluid this afternoon.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to TNT Sports
11:59 , Alex Young"We know the difficulty of the challenge; it's always really tough to win and go through the next round.
"It's a big day for [Dowman]. He's been out for a few weeks as well, so a real opportunity for him to show what he's capable of. He has a really good environment around him."
Fan view
11:55 , Alex YoungHavertz, Downman, Trossard in midfield?
— Yudhistira Gallanto Arbi (@20gallantoarbi) March 7, 2026
I don’t know but I think it might be a lil’bit unbalanced.
Or maybe Arteta want to try Norgaard “false CB” operation here?
3-1-2-3-1 in attacking phase with some new dimension?
Interesting. 🤔
Whatever it is, let’s go!#Arsenal #AFC
Mansfield manager Nigel Clough to TNT Sports
11:52 , Alex Young“I just hope we can make them uncomfortable today. The supporters and players are excited, the manager and staff not so much!
“We will try to play our usual game ... they are slightly better than us technically.
“We’ll have a go, no regrets. We have a one-off opportunity, we’ll give it everything. Let’s see.”
Matt Verri checks in
11:39 , Alex Young“Good morning, from Mansfield.”
"This is a rare chance for this Arsenal squad to breathe."
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) March 7, 2026
Here's @MattVerri in Mansfield, working out a very attacking Gunners formation.#AFC | #MANARS | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/luckS49diO
Record-breaker
11:36 , Alex YoungAged just 16 years and 66 days old, Max Dowman will today become Arsenal’s youngest ever FA Cup player.
Latest match odds
11:31 , Alex YoungIt will be some cupset if Mansfield pull off a result today.
- Mansfield to win: 20/1
- Draw: 9/1
- Arsenal to win: 1/12
(Odds via Betfair, subject to change.)
Confirmed team news in full
11:25 , Alex YoungMansfield XI: Roberts; Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy; Akins, Abbot, Reed, McLaughlin; Evans, Roberts; Oates
Subs: H.Lewis, Hewitt, Bowery, A.Lewis, Hendry, Moriah-Welsh, Irow, Evans, Adeboyejo
Arsenal XI: Kepa; Salmon, Mosquera, Calafiori, Norgaard, Havertz, Trossard, Madueke, Dowman, Martinelli, Jesus
Subs: Setford, Hincapie, Dixon, Timber, Ibrahim, Eze, Saka, Gyokeres, Harriman-Annous
Mansfield XI
11:20 , Alex Young...and the hosts!
📋 Your #Stags to take on Arsenal. 🦌 pic.twitter.com/Qj8dlF6DZc
— Mansfield Town FC (@mansfieldtownfc) March 7, 2026
Matt Verri at the One Call Stadium
11:18 , Alex YoungGood luck guessing how that Arsenal team is going to shape up. Mikel Arteta has just thrown all the attacking players at it, seemingly.
Potentially a back three with Madueke and Martinelli as the wing-backs, but loads of options with those players on the pitch.
Arsenal XI
11:15 , Alex YoungHere’s how the Gunners line up.
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 7, 2026
🆕 Salmon makes first start
👏 Dowman becomes our youngest-ever FA Cup player
©️ Jesus skippers the side
Let's book our spot in the next round, Gunners ✊
🤝 Presented by @deel
It sounds like Havertz starts.
It’s not a cup tie without a tin foil trophy.
Youngsters Dowman and Salmon are expected to start today.
No sign of Rice or Zubimendi as Arsenal got off their team bus just now.
Team news is imminent.
A peek inside the dressing room.
Eight absent for Arsenal as youngsters get a chance
10:45 , Alex YoungWith William Saliba and Myles Lewis-Skelly ruled out, Mikel Arteta will turn to some youngster to get the job done this afternoon.
Eight Arsenal players were absent from training on Friday. Mikel Merino is a definite absentee, while Ben White and Martin Odegaard and doubts.
Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel and Martin Zubimendi were also absent, though likely rested.
Max Dowman will be hoping to play some part after recovering from an ankle ligament injury and featuring for the Under-21s, while the same is also true of fellow 16-year-old Marli Salmon.
18-year-old striker Andre Harriman-Annous and defender Jaden Dixon - a £3.2million January signing from Stoke - also trained with the Arsenal first team on Friday ahead of possible involvement against Mansfield.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus will all be expected to play prominent roles for Arsenal, with Riccardo Calafiori potentially starting at left-back with Piero Hincapie likely rested and Lewis-Skelly suspended.
Saliba injury latest
10:32 , Alex YoungWilliam Saliba will miss today’s game due to injury.
The Frenchman was ruled out of the Gunners' win over Brighton on Wednesday night, as Cristhian Mosquera came into the defence alongside Gabriel.
Saliba picked up the problem during the clash with Chelsea, when he scored the opener and played the full 90 minutes.
However, Saliba was managing the injury by the end of that match and could play no part at the Amex Stadium in midweek.
The 24-year-old also had an ankle issue earlier this season, but Mikel Arteta confirmed the currently injury is not related to that.
"No, it's the other one," Arteta said on Wednesday, in quotes embargoed until Friday evening.
"We thought the same straight after the game because he wasn't comfortable to finish the game.
"After straightaway he didn't have a good feeling so let's see if he recovers quickly."
On whether Saliba would be in contention to face Mansfield, Arteta added: "I doubt it."
Why Myles Lewis-Skelly cannot play today
10:21 , Alex YoungArsenal will be without Myles Lewis-Skelly today.
Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate significantly against minnows Mansfield, but the young left-back will not be allowed to enter the pitch.
Lewis-Skelly is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, in another blow to an underwhelming season.
The 19-year-old picked up bookings in both the win away at Portsmouth and the comprehensive victory in the last round over Wigan.
FA Cup rules state that if a player picks up two yellows cards in the competition up to and including the quarter-finals, they will receive a one-match suspension.
Ben White and Christian Norgaard are the only other Arsenal players to have been booked in the FA Cup so far this season.
If either of them are shown a yellow card against Mansfield and the Gunners progress, they will be unavailable for the quarter-final tie.
Score prediction
10:13 , Alex YoungIn theory, this should be a straightforward FA Cup tie for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to navigate.
The Gunners may not have been at their absolute best in recent weeks, but they do seem to release the handbrake when it comes to matters outside of the Premier League.
Mansfield are without a league win since the middle of January and we expect their cup run to come to an end here.
Arsenal to win, 4-0
Early Arsenal team news
10:05 , Alex YoungAs for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta is expected to ring the changes with one eye on the Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen.
Kepa Arrizabalaga should start in goal, while the likes of Christian Norgaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are likely to come into the team.
Max Dowman is also an option to start after returning to the matchday squad on Wednesday night, but Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka could be rested.
William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Ben White are all doubtful, but Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended.
Early Mansfield team news
09:57 , Alex YoungLuke Bolton is a doubt for Mansfield after lasting just 13 minutes of the goalless draw with Rotherham on Tuesday night. The winger was immediately sent for a scan, so is in a race against the clock.
Midfielder George Abbott, on loan from Tottenham, is eligible to feature in the FA Cup for the hosts and should be fresh after being withdrawn at half-time against Rotherham.
How to watch Mansfield vs Arsenal
09:50 , Alex YoungTV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11am GMT ahead of kick-off at 12.15pm.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Matt Verri.
Mansfield vs Arsenal LIVE
09:44 , Alex YoungGood morning and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the FA Cup fifth-round clash between Mansfield and Arsenal.
The lowest-ranked team left in the competition says the top-ranked team in the country, in what is a proper cup tie.
Arsenal are expected to make changes, but The Stags already have one Premier League scalp to their name this season after beating Burnley in the last round.
They couldn’t, could they?
Kick-off is at 12.15pm. Stick with us?
