Hello everyone, it’s been an especially good week to be a Gooner this week. Our steel shown, our lead strengthened, new friends made, and rivals discombobulated. Fresh then from a successful soiree in the south, The Arsenal venture northwards into the heart of England this weekend to take on Mansfield Town in our first 5th round cup tie since our last, and record breaking, 14th FA Cup win. What has gone wrong since that last win? Well, one factor would certainly be that until now we haven’t really had a squad deep enough to cope with several competitions at once, however that has now been put right by the estimable Mr Berta and Co. who have delivered the requisite number of good players – well, technically, whether they are good enough remains to be seen over the next 12 or so enjoyable terrifying unmissable weeks. So far of course the verdict would have to be absolutely, yes, we are after all in the League Cup Final, Last 16 of the Champions League and FA Cup, and top of the league by five seven points. It feels grand.
A bit about Mansfield as who knows when we will meet again
Firstly, to halloo a tiny note of caution, our last FA Cup visit into these environs ended up with us being dumped out unceremoniously by Mansfield’s noisier neighbour, then Championship side Nottingham Forest as we suffered a fairly humiliating 1-0 defeat. They were admittedly a division higher than Mansfield, who are currently hovering around 16th in League One, after a run of six defeats and 3 draws in the last nine matches, though there have been signs of life in the last two league games, a 0-0 draw with Rotherham and a 2-2 with AFC Wimbledon. That is now of course, but what of their glorious history and storied past you ask?
From a small settlement probably established by the Romans – what wasn’t? – a thriving market town grew over the years, though the storied past pretty much ended with that Robin Hood fellow who was, allegedly, hunting the Mansfield stags around the nearby Sherwood Forest some centuries ago. In fact, times have been challenging locally since the decline of the mining industry that used to support Mansfield and its nearby villages. Though I haven’t been there myself since a somewhat hazy visit in the early 90s, it seems that struggle to adapt still continues by all reports. However, all is not lost for the hardy away traveller! Our GHF Man on the Spot (thanks Special Agent Mr. BB) has reassured me that the Il Rosso on the Nottingham Road does some passable Italian grub and the Rushley Pub about a mile further along the Nottingham Road provides potable pints in reasonably safe surrounds near the atmospheric Mansfield Cemetary (ed. the GHF accepts no responsibility for the advice of its local correspondents).
As for the team itself, basically Mansfield Town have kicked around the lower leagues with modest success since they were first admitted in 1931. However, they were already known to Gooners by then, the one and only meeting between the two sides took place in the FA Cup in 1929 (photo above for the old, old Highbury). The Arsenal triumphing 2-0 with goals from Harold Burston Peel and our then world record-signing David Jack. We’ve never played Mansfield in the league as they have to date never made the top division, but they do have a manager who did, Nigel Clough, son of the one and only original Cloughie, is well-known to Gooners of a certain age, as was his Dad who rolled us over on a number of occasions! Let’s hope that hasn’t rubbed off on young Nigel. Having said that, I watched an interview after their recent 0-0 with Rotherham (and how’s that for in-depth preparation) and when asked about preparation for the weekend’s game, Young Cloughie explained he hasn’t bothered to talk about the game or prepare as he doesn’t know who we will start but anyway they will all be very good so not much point in discussing it. He just told his players to make us uncomfortable and enjoy the day. The attitude seemed somewhat familiar.
The Game
Mansfield have made it this far in the Cup on the back of two notably excellent triumphs away at Sheffield United and Burnley in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Their midfield general, Louis Reed, smashed home a couple of long-range shots against Sheffield United and the winner against Burnley with a cracking free kick, with Rhys Oates also contributing a couple of good finishes in both rounds. To be honest I know little about any of their other players excepting Tyler Roberts, who was at Leeds for a while. They do have Victor Adeboyejo up front, who was apparently at The Arsenal Academy in his youth. The rest of the squad seem to be solid journeyman professionals who looked well up for the fight in the cup games I watched. As per Cloughie The Younger’s instructions to make us uncomfortable I expect no quarter to be asked or given in an old-fashioned cup tie and for us to take a similar approach to the Wigan game should be the order of the day. A final word of warning would be that Burnley, in particular, in my opinion, looked very complacent at 1-0 up in the last round, let’s give them the respect they deserve and put the game to bed properly. I like giant-killing as much as the next fellow, just not when it’s us. Who, then, should we entrust with this demolition job?
The Arsenal XI
I imagine that it will largely depend on who Mikel most wants to rest – Timber, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi and Rice would the first names on my own list but it will also largely depend on which, if any, of the walking wounded can return. I expect Kepa will play in goal, Mosquera and Calafiori in defence, Nørgaard in midfield and Madueke and Jesus up front. How will we fit MLS into this puzzle? We have seven but who are the +4 Those and other questions are wildly guessed at below……
Kepa
White (Salmon) Mosquera Calafiori MLS
Nørgaard MLS Eze
Madueke Jesus Martinelli
I have assumed that whoever out of Martinelli and Leo is going to start against Leverkusen will not start against Mansfield, and that Eze is ready to play. After that my solution, as the sharp-eyed may have noticed, is to simply clone MLS. However, if our medical department lack this simple, modern convenience then I suppose we may have to look at moving Nørgaard back, Calafiori over to the left, and playing whichever of Havertz or Ode or Saka is available and least of an injury risk in midfield. I think it is a little early to start Max Dowman, and actually I doubt the boss will start Salmon, but I hope we will see both at some point. Just to add, if you are reading this Mikel Merino, I miss you!
The Score
Another four goals would align neatly with the Portsmouth and Wigan wins and so I will go for a 4-0 to The Arsenal as in the Wigan win rather than the 4-1 against Portsmouth. Be nice to see Jesus on the scoresheet, and Madueke too but I would also be very happy with an injury-free win. This is a game I have been looking forward to since the draw was made and exactly the sort of match the cup is all about. Yes, there have been a few tense ones recently and no doubt a lot more to come but for this weekend take the fun that is an FA Cup run and enjoy it all wherever you may be!
Cheers Matt ! The bad news regarding your selection is that Ben White – along with Saliba and Odegaard, not in your eleven I know – is not available. Miles Lewis-Skelly is also ruled out by suspension. He apparently collected two yellow cards in the 3rd and 4th rounds and due to a little known FA rule is therefore suspended.
I have no more idea what Mikel’s solution will be than Mr Clough does. I do like 4-0 though, whoever is chosen to go and get it.
Chees Matt
Kepa
Salmon, Mosquera, Gabriel, Cali
Norgaard Rice Eze
Madueke Jesus Tross
Nice preview Matt. I’m pretty sure I’ve never been to Mansfield. Here’s my team
Kepa
Salmon, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori
Norgaard, Eze, Havertz
Dowman, Jesus, Madueke (could switch with Dowman)
Dowman and Havertz could switch.
Trev, I’m going to repeat my reply to you re tickets in the last drinks in case you didn’t see it.
Trev – to get a ticket try ticket exchange especially in the last 48 hours before a game. It’s a bit of a ball ache to have to keep refreshing but can pay dividends. Otherwise – if you are an ST holder and find you can’t go to a game, remember Trev! Ticket transfer to him is easy!
I think you have struck the right balance between confidence and caution, OM. They’ll be up for it and at home. An old fashioned Cup tie should ensue, in which our quality should prevail.
Here are a couple of cautionary accounts of our previous meeting:
ARSENAL v. MANSFIELD TOWN. Scorers; Arsenal—Peel and Jack —2 goals. Mansfield Town —Nil. Mansfield Town deserve much credit for the splendid showing against Arsenal at Highbury, for although the First League club enjoyed success by two clear goals, they found the opposition of such good quality that the points wore not obtained until the last nine minutes of an interesting game.
Pluck and determination was the keynote of Mansfield’s play. They opened with a great attack, and might easily have scored, while at the end of half an hour Staniforth failed to use a penalty kick successfully. There were other times when Arsenal’s goal might have fallen and the scoring chances to each side were about equal.
That report appeared in the Leeds Mercury, but I assume it was an agency report as versions appear in several regional newspapers. The Daily Express, clearly employing a very young Trev as a headline writer, put it thus:
PLOTS OF THE EGGS AND MILK TEAM FAIL TO HATCH. MISSED PENALTY. Arsenal 2, Mansfield Town 0. GALLANT little Mansfield Town went down at Highbury with their amber and blue colours flying after going very close to bringing off a great surprise. Better shooting would almost certainly have done the trick. Indeed, no other real weakness existed in a workmanlike combination that held Arsenal at bay till the last nine minutes, when both goals of an entertaining struggle fell to the First League club.
“Babies,” the Mansfield supporters called their team—scarcely an apt simile, having regard to the physical powers of a well-built eleven who had been trained on eggs and milk. Pluck, quickness to tackie, and judgment in disposing of the ball stamped Mansfield’s play all the time,
Even Arsenal’s international wingers, Hulme and Jones, were not superior to Cooke and McLachlan of the opposition—a pair who did their very best to “make” goals.
We heard this driving back from Brighton and were cracking up.
https://x.com/griftreport/status/2029814239091921354?s=61&t=cVFjCyGkt4y-Ne45LtfqkQ
C100 – thanks, will do !
C100 – agree with your team by the way. Don’t want to see Rice or Zubimendi anywhere near it.
Thanks for an excellent preview, Matt, that captures the magic of this FA Cup tie against a real banana skin team that’s even wearing the correct colour of shirt for that designation. Your team selection shows great invention, perhaps leaning both on Jesus to raise White to fitness in truly miraculous fashion and Frankenstein’s manual to clone MLS, only to find both versions are suspended! It’ll be interesting to see how MA8 balances fielding a team capable of winning against a team of robust journeymen against resting the key players who are currently running on fumes.
My friend from Mansfield whose STs are just behind the home bench says the pitch is currently in a terrible condition as a result of 40 days of rain and that Cloughie Junior has had the team practising defending corners all week. My friend hopes the Stags can reproduce their famous cup victory over the Hammers in the 60’s. I, of course, hope they cannot.
Thanks Ned for the historical reports. I suspect this game may follow a similar pattern: late goals from the fitter team proving decisive.
As to the team selection, I will trust MA8’s judgement, but I expect he will want to win this game. Against teams of this level, on a dodgy surface, tyros could prove a liability. Thus, I expect a stronger team than others have suggested:
Kepa
Mosquera, Hincapié, Gabriel, Calafiori
Nörgaard, Rice, Eze
Madueke, Jesùs, Trossard.
A few regular starters will be on the bench in case needed but I hope that, by the hour mark, the scoreline and the game state will allow Salmon, Dowman and perhaps other yoofs to relieve some of the starters.
Go win, Gunners!
Thanks all for the kinds words and pointing out
the MLS suspension sized hole in my selection plan!
As Rice and Gabriel didn’t train, I’m guessing we won’t see
them, but it seems Dowman, Salmon and Dixon did.
MLS and Ben are a big miss for this one. I think I will leave
it to MA 😃
@3 C100, think you’d remember if you’d been to Mansfield City Centre!
Perhaps it’s changed for the better
This was just cruel…..
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0bMG4z-U1xs
Breaking the no politics rule I know but think of it as
Swedish language practice
I guess we shouldn’t expect to see MLS then, just when we should be expecting to see him. One of my biggest disappointments with this season has been not getting the chance to see more of him and Ethan but hopefully next season that can be rectified. As to this season it is presumably the imperative to keep our winning ways wending their willful way to winning maximum winnings so a strong team should be expected, and expected to produce the goods. COYG
History, charm & humor — a preview as enjoyable as a cozy story by the fire. Thank you Matt! And thanks Trev for a tone-perfect review of what we hope would turn out to be a significant away win at Brighton.
As you rightly pointed out, this type of away matches in the FA cup against lower league opponents can easily turn a frenetic and as a result tense affair if we don’t control the proceedings. The opposition play with zero pressure and an above-average enthusiasm.
Arsenal just needs to make it a predictable, and (why not) even a boring affair, and simply outplay the opposition.
Saliba, Rice, Zubimendi shouldn’t even travel for this one. White and Ødegaard are still on the mend. With Gabriel, Leo, Havertz, Gyökeres, Hincapié on the bench and some youngsters, this would be my preferred starting eleven.
Kepa
Salmon-Mosquera-Calafiori-MLS
Saka-Nørgaard-Eze
Madueke-Jesus-Martinelli
Given our current midfield shortage (Merino and Martin both bring out, hopefully the captain is back shortly), it’s tempting to get Saka some more match practice in that advanced right sided midfielder role, where he offers a somewhat different kind of challenge to the opposition defense. After 60 minutes bring Havertz on for him.
A convincing win and some cohesive and creative attacking football for the players to help getting over their psychological tiredness.
Come on Arsenal!
Thanks Doc,
Good team but I’m afraid MLS won’t make it as unbeknownst to me he is suspended for this one.
Hincapie will have to go again I guess unless MA has someone up his sleeve.
Cheers Matt, an excellent preview.
How long has the 2 yellow cards rule in the 3rd and 4th round leading to a suspension in the 5th been in place? Seems a bit over the top. Its the same suspension you’d get for a red card comprised of 2 yellows in the same match, and that can’t be right.
And it’s really shafted MLS and us on this occasion. That said, the lad is unfortunately good at picking up unnecessary bookings, and although I’ve not looked back at either of them, I wonder if he could have avoided either of them. If he’d known he would get suspended then he might well have!
Anyway, I’m quite annoyed about that, as I would very much have liked to see him in midfield for this one. Still, we just need to rest as many as we can, and even if we are a bit disjointed, trust that our superior quality will show through. It’s the FA Cup, so anything could happen, but it’s a tie we should win.
When I first heard that we’d drawn Mansfield I was surprised. My first thought was of that fabulous pair up front, a girl who just can’t help it and Twenty Flight Rock (Jayne’s NLFE equivalent) an absolute classic But you’ve clarified all of that for me, Matt with that very fine preview. My mind, rather unusually was on completely the right/wrong track depending on your point of view.
It’s a great pity that ‘issues’ limit MA8’s ability to ring the changes that I’m sure he’d love to ring. I had hoped to find that Timber, Zubi and Declan would be sitting at home in their slippers watching the game on TV while listening to Adrian and Dan on A.com. That seems unlikely now.
This game is another ‘must win’ if we’re to sustain our challenge on all four fronts but in a sense is also a ‘can’t win’. If we succeed, the viewpoint will be, simply, that this was a very easy draw and the Arsenal were nailed on. Should we encounter a banana skin however, the bottler comments will rain down in floods.
So just go win, Arsenal. Clean sheet and no injuries would be very nice.
Having just chased a little white ball around 18 holes this morning I can confirm that underfoot conditions in East England are challenging – in accord with Bath’s friend’s “terrible condition” report. Long studs recommended, fellas.
Great preview Matt .
This is our least important game left this season but we’d love to win it. I think we might blood Dowman and Salmon because we need to protect the elite players . I think we will win 3-0 or maybe 3-1
I passed through Mansfield once . It seemed a good idea not to stop ✋
Golfing, BtM ? That reminds me of a local news story I heard earlier this week. There is a very large, well known sports shop not far from me and while undergoing a reorganisation of the store one of the assistants fell head first into a huge pile of golf clubs. Latest report from the hospital where he was admitted said that he is stable but not yet out of the woods.
Don’t forget the phrase book if you are going to Mansfield where “Alright, my love” translates to “Owraaht me dck”.m and “mashing tea” is simply what we always do to make a cuppa down south, and not some northern ritual undertaken with a fork. It is, of course, all part of the pattern of the English language, in that the further north you go the stronger the German influence on the language becomes. So, mash tea = Tee machen; and by the time you get to Scotland the ‘church’ had become the ‘Kirk’ – Die Kirche in German.
Carry on !
My team wasn’t far off. Looks like three at the back
Madueke AND Dowman quite surprising. Very pleased to see Mikel’s faith in the two teenagers.
@20, Trev, Funny! – but don’t get me started on woods…….
Thanks Matt
I don’t understand the above team selection at all but I’ll go with it for 5-0 to the Arsenal.
UTA
Thanks Matt for a super preview. Impossibe task to guess the team but you & C100 made exemplary attempts. An interesting selection by MA – a very attacking bias – looks like a 343. Some very weary players have been given time off completely. Looking forward to a stress free game whatever the outcome.
COYRRR
Looks like the plan is just to blitz!
Come on you Gunners!
Enjoyable game so far, they are certainly not going to go quietly.
Giving us kittens!
1-0 finally, can’t say we’ve really deserved it though we
have made several good chances.
Leo off for Hincapie, might make us a bit less shaky I hope,
Only ourselves to blame for that one
Eze
Job done. Two banging goals. I thought Mansfield playedwell, especially in transition.
Onwards to the quarter final!
Well that was hard work
And annoying about Calafiori if that is his hamstring again.
But fair play to Mansfield, that was a cracking effort by them
Excellent from Mansfield. Well played. We did enough though and never looked in any real danger. If we could finish on the day then we’d have had at least four goals in the cup (again) but it would have been hard on their keeper.
Potential injuries to Trossard and Calafiori were big minuses. The performances of Salmon, Dowman and some minutes for Dixon were all pluses.
Job done. Draw on Monday night. Who’s next?
Seems from MA after the game that Leo and Cala coming off were both
precautionary and he thinks they’re ok.
I wonder if Mikel was going to change things at halftime anyway and
bring off an attacking player for an extra defender – Plan A hadn’t
really been working in the first 30 minutes,
Only got to see the highlights but man is Dowman a precocious talent.
I, too, have only seen highlights. From those, Mansfield made a game of it, but it looked as if we got past Mansfield more comfortably than Chelsea got past Wrexham. To U4GN’s point @35, Dowman looked very impressive and could have scored a couple. Bodes well for the future to have had two 16-year-olds starting.
Very nice to hear on radio this morning from the wife of Mansfield owner John Radford (no less !) – she may be co-owner, I don’t know, no sexism intended – that Arsenal were very professional and very kind to them all day, and they will be rooting for Arsenal for the rest of the competition. Brilliant from the club and the players who spent time with the local youngsters.
Trev @37. Lovely to hear. Not everyone is a prick like Hurzeler.
>>>>>>>