Mikel Arteta does not come across as a laid-back figure. So when he freely admitted that his team spent 10 minutes working on the new back-three formation deployed against Mansfield Town in Saturday’s FA Cup fifth round tie, one could be forgiven for thinking that Arsenal’s manager underestimated their League One hosts.
Nigel Clough’s spirited outfit almost punished Arteta. It took the second-half introduction of Eberechi Eze—a $90 million (£67.5 million) summer recruit who earns twice as much as the entire Mansfield squad combined—to force through a 2–1 win.
Arteta may be forced to take Arsenal’s quarterfinal seriously if the balls for Monday’s FA Cup draw don’t prove to be so kind.
Arsenal’s Best Possible FA Cup Quarterfinal Draw
In terms of simple pyramid math, League One strugglers Port Vale stick out like a sore thumb. There are 67 places between the Premier League leaders and the club rooted to the foot of England’s third tier. The only other non-Premier League club in the draw for the quarterfinals are Championship side Southampton, who could very easily win promotion back to the top flight this season.
Arsenal breezed past third-tier Wigan Athletic at home in the fourth round, yet struggled for spells against Portsmouth and Mansfield Town when forced to travel to teams below the Premier League. Another away tie in the quarterfinals may not be so straightforward.
A meeting with Leeds United could prove to be serene. This Premier League season has been curiously short of thrashings yet Arsenal are responsible for two of the largest margins of victory this season; a 5–0 thumping of Leeds at the Emirates which was followed up with a 4–0 triumph against the same opponents at Elland Road.
Arsenal’s Worst Possible FA Cup Draw
Arsenal are one of four members of the current top six which still remain in the FA Cup. The Gunners’ direct Premier League rivals Manchester City remain in the hunt for four trophies this season and a clash with Pep Guardiola’s side would set up an intriguing spring run of fixtures.
City and Arsenal are already scheduled to meet in the Carabao Cup final on March 22. Any FA Cup quarterfinal would take place on the weekend of April 4 before the pair clash at the Etihad in the standout fixture of the Premier League’s run in on April 18.
The Gunners have already battled through a rapid run of meetings with Chelsea, collecting three wins in wildly different circumstances.
Arsenal’s Record vs. Potential FA Cup Opponents (Last Five Games)
| Potential Opponents | Arsenal Wins | Draws | Arsenal Losses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Liverpool | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Man City | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Arsenal had the better of the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg but still emerged with a slender 3–2 win. The return leg at the Emirates was effectively a non-contest due to Liam Rosenior’s deliberately defensive tactics before set pieces reigned supreme in the Premier League battle on the same ground at the start of March.
Liverpool’s Arne Slot was the face of the moral outcry that particular London derby caused. Should the Reds be drawn against Arsenal it will be intriguing to see if they resort to anything as crude as a set-play goal in their continued quest for the aesthetic ideal.
When Is the 2025–26 FA Cup Quarterfinal Draw?
The draw takes place on Monday evening, shortly before the final fifth round tie between West Ham United and Brentford kicks off at the London Stadium.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal’s Potential 2025–26 FA Cup Quarterfinal Opponents: Best, Worst Case Scenarios.
