Ahead of kick-off, manager Mikel Arteta expressed concern about potential reputational damage, demanding maximum focus from Arsenal to avoid an upset that could derail their season. Despite this, the Spanish manager rotated his squad as the London club faces a demanding schedule across four competitions, with an away trip to Bayer Leverkusen for the first leg of the champions league round of 16 on 11/3.

Compared to their 1-0 victory over Brighton in the 29th round of the premier league mid-week, Arsenal's starting lineup featured nine changes. Only Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Martinelli retained their starting spots.

Notably, Max Dowman, at 16 years and 66 days old, became the youngest player to feature in FA Cup history. Alongside defender Marli Salmon, Arsenal became the first premier league club to start two 16-year-old players across all competitions.

Noni Madueke (in red) scores the opening goal in Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Mansfield Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup on 7/3. *Offside*

Arsenal's youthful squad dominated possession but struggled to break down Mansfield Town's compact defense, a club competing in EFL League One (England's third-tier league). The poor pitch conditions, with many patches of turf torn up, further hindered the visitors' technical playing style.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Arsenal found a way to take the lead through a moment of individual brilliance. In the 41st minute, Noni Madueke's shot was saved by the Mansfield goalkeeper, with the rebound falling to Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian forward laid it off perfectly for Madueke to strike a left-footed shot across the goal, finding the back of the net.

This marks Madueke's sixth goal across all competitions this season: one in the FA Cup, two in the premier league, and three in the champions league. The goal also made Arsenal the third club in Europe's five top leagues to reach 100 goals across all competitions this season, after Bayern Munich (128 goals) and Barca (110).

Will Evans scores the equalizer to make it 1-1. *AMA, AP*

At the start of the second half, Mansfield unexpectedly found an equalizer. Marli Salmon's under-hit back pass allowed substitute Will Evans to intercept the ball, drive into the box, and fire a diagonal shot past goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Conceding the equalizer prompted Arteta to immediately bring on two key players, Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze. This decision quickly paid dividends. Just four minutes later, Arsenal found the decisive goal. Receiving the ball at the edge of the penalty area, Eze dribbled past four defenders before unleashing a right-footed shot into the top corner, securing the 2-1 victory.

The 2-1 result increased Arsenal's total wins across all competitions this season to 35 (8 draws, 3 losses) – the most among clubs in Europe's five top leagues in the 2025-2026 season. This also marks the "gunners'" highest number of wins in a single season under Arteta, surpassing the 34-match milestone set in the 2023-2024 season.

Eberechi Eze secured the 2-1 victory. *AFP*

Arsenal currently holds the record with 14 FA Cup titles. However, this is their first time reaching the quarter-finals since the 2019-2020 season, when the "gunners" went all the way to the final and defeated Chelsea 2-1 to lift the trophy. That was also Arsenal's only major trophy under Arteta.

Despite the victory, Arsenal's joy was tempered. The poor pitch conditions forced several visiting players to go down due to collisions. Leandro Trossard left the field in the first half, while Riccardo Calafiori experienced fitness issues and was replaced by 18-year-old Jaden Dixon in the 76th minute – signals that caused concern for the coaching staff as the season enters its decisive phase.

Hong Duy