Arsenal begin their FA Cup journey tonight when they face League One side Oxford United in the third round of the competition.
A 0-0 draw against high-flyers Newcastle in the Premier League kept the Gunners at the top of the league table in their last outing, with their lead currently five points over Manchester City in second. Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side can get back to winning ways when they face Oxford United tonight, with Arsenal keen to avoid an embarrassing exit in the competition like last season.
A late goal saw the Gunners fall to a 1-0 defeat against then-Championship side Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round, but it would be the result of the round if the U's were to pull off a shock win against Arsenal tonight. Arteta is expected to rotate his squad, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and William Saliba in line to be rested.
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So, can Arsenal advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup when they travel to Oxford tonight? We simulated the game to find out.
We simulated Oxford United vs Arsenal to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the hosts could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: McGinty; Anderson, Moore, Long, Brown; Bate, McGuane, Brannagan; Wildschut, Taylor, Goodrham.
We predict that the Gunners could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Turner; Cedric, Tomiyasu, Holding, Tierney; Elneny, Lokonga, Vieira; Martinelli, Nketiah, Marquinhos.
The hosts were the brighter side in the opening stages as they took three shots at the Arsenal goal in the opening six minutes, but none of their efforts troubled Matt Turner in between the sticks. As Arsenal got ahold of the ball, they started to dominate, and Arteta's side found themselves 2-0 up after 19 minutes.
The first goal came from a set-piece, with Rob Holding flicking Fabio Vieira's free-kick on at the near post that looped over the keeper, underneath the crossbar and into the far corner of the net. Just six minutes later, the Gunners made it two when a rapid counterattack saw Gabriel Martinelli burst down the left with Albert Sambi Lokonga the furthest man forward in support.
The Brazilian managed to drill a cross into the box, and in unfamiliar territory, the Belgian midfielder guided his effort into the top corner with an arrowed finish. Arsenal carried the 2-0 lead into the break, and after a couple of changes, the Gunners found themselves 4-0 up 65 minutes in.
Martin Odegaard was one of three changes, and the Norwegian set up Eddie Nketiah for Arsenal's third with a clever flick into the box, allowing Nketiah to round the 'keeper and sweep the ball into the net. Odegaard then got on the scoresheet himself, latching onto Martinelli's pass before drilling his shot across goal and into the far corner of the net.
Oxford United pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute when some sloppy play saw Mohamed Elneny dispossessed deep in his own half, allowing Matt Taylor to break through one-on-one with Turner and fire underneath the 'keeper to wipe out the clean sheet. But, in the 88th minute, Nketiah notched his second to confirm the emphatic victory for the Gunners.
Fabio Vieira was moved onto the left wing for the final 15 minutes, and like Martinelli had done all evening, the Portuguese man caused trouble down the left, this time breezing past his marker inside the box and finding Nketiah in a dangerous position. The striker controlled his pass with a smart drag back onto his right foot, and a powerful strike beat the 'keeper from close range to make it 5-1 late on.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Oxford United 1-5 Arsenal
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Arsenal could ease to victory tonight in Oxford, booking their spot in the FA Cup fourth round in style. Nketiah continued his impressive goalscoring form in the simulation, whilst the hosts' only big chance came from an Arsenal mistake. No Gunners fan will be complaining if the game turned out this simple tonight.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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