Arsenal are aiming to ease into the FA Cup quarterfinals when they take on League One outfit Mansfield Town on Saturday.
The Gunners have certainly benefited from kind draws all round this season, and the bypassing of two English Football League (EFL) opponents set up this favorable tie. A Gabriel Martinelli hat trick inspired their victory at Portsmouth in the third round before a first-half rout ensured they made light work of Wigan Athletic.
They’re now preparing for their first meeting with Mansfield in almost 100 years. Herbert Chapman was the man in charge at Highbury when Arsenal downed the Stags 2–0 in the 1929–30 FA Cup, which the Gunners would go on to win.
Mikel Arteta’s side are gunning for much more than this trophy during the final quarter of the season, with their quadruple dream very much alive.
Mansfield, led by Nigel Clough, have no such ambitions down the stretch. Their win at Burnley was the upset of the fourth round, and the Stags haven’t progressed to this stage of the FA Cup since 1969–70.
The memorable victory at Turf Moor has failed to embolden them in League One, though, with Saturday’s hosts winless in their previous nine league outings. Their malaise means they’re at risk of sliding into the relegation scrap, with 21st-place Leyton Orient just five points worse off.
Mansfield vs. Arsenal Score Prediction
Gunners to Ease Into Last Eight
Victory in Nottinghamshire would cap a brilliant week for Arsenal, who moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday. They then had their feet up as Tottenham Hotspur lost again to enhance their bitter rivals’ relegation fears.
An Arsenal title win coupled with Spurs’ demise to the second tier would be a season very difficult to top.
However, the Gunners are chasing multiple crowns down the stretch, and they have as good a chance as anyone to lift a record-extending 15th FA Cup in May. They’ve made light work of EFL opponents thus far, and a slumping Mansfield team are unlikely to stage a mammoth upset on Saturday.
- Record against minnows: Arsenal have not only beaten two EFL sides on their way to the fifth round, as well as Port Vale in the EFL Cup, but they haven’t lost a FA Cup tie to a team competing in the third tier of English football or below since Wrexham, then of the Fourth Division, stunned the Gunners at the Racecourse Ground in 1992.
- Strength in depth: Burnley’s rotation left them vulnerable in the previous round, but Arsenal have the strongest squad in the country. Arteta could swap out all 11 players from Wednesday’s win at Brighton & Hove Albion and still field a team that’d compete towards the top of the Premier League table.
- Quadruple dream: The Gunners are on a mission. They want to prolong their hopes of winning an unprecedented quadruple for as long as they can. Arteta’s side won’t let its dream be compromised by third-tier opposition this weekend.
Prediction: Mansfield 0–3 Arsenal
Mansfield Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal
The hosts will have to stage an all-time FA Cup shock without their injured captain, Ryan Sweeney, who’s dealing with a hamstring issue.
Baily Cargill has also succumbed to a hamstring injury, and could miss the rest of the season as a result. Neither player was available for the team’s upset of Burnley last month, though.
Luke Bolton, who appeared as a substitute at Turf Moor, is a doubt due to a calf problem.
Experienced center forward Rhys Oates has struggled in front of goal in 2026, but the 31-year-old opened the scoring in the previous round before the versatile Louis Reed powered Clough’s men into the fifth round.
Mansfield predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Roberts; Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy; Akins, Lewis, Reed, McLaughlin; Evans, Roberts; Oates.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Mansfield
Arteta will rotate as much as he can for Saturday’s FA Cup tie, with Jurriën Timber, Gabriel, Declan Rice, Martín Zubimendi and Bukayo Saka among the players who’ll almost certainly be rested ahead of the resumption of their Champions League campaign.
Teenage sensation Max Dowman has recently returned from an ankle injury and could be in line for minutes this weekend, while Marli Salmon may start at right back if Ben White hasn’t shaken his knock off in time.
Mikel Merino could be the only absentee through injury, although William Saliba missed the win on Wednesday night due to an ankle issue, and Martin Ødegaard’s status remains unknown.
Gabriel Jesus is a sure bet to start up front, while Kai Havertz will likely operate in midfield.
What Time Does Mansfield vs. Arsenal Kick Off?
- Location: Mansfield, England
- Stadium: One Call Stadium
- Date: Saturday, March 7
- Kick-off Time: 12:15 p.m. GMT / 7:15 a.m. ET / 4:15 a.m. PT
- Referee: Thomas Bramall
- VAR: Paul Tierney
How to Watch Mansfield vs. Arsenal on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Strean |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Select, fuboTV, ESPN App |
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports 1 , TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, discovery+ App |
| Canada | Sportsnet World, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet Plus |
| Mexico | TNT Sports, Max Mexico, TNT Go |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mansfield vs. Arsenal: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
