A heavily-changed Arsenal took to the One Call Stadium on Saturday lunchtime to face League One outfit Mansfield Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup. A goal from Arsenal’s Noni Madueke opened the scoring and a tidy Eberechi Eze’s finish then cancelled out Will Evans’ equaliser.
The Gunners, as expected, enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the encounter’s early embers but Nigel Clough’s men lifted bums off seats with plenty of chances early on.
Heading into the half-time interval, it seemed as if the home side would have been the happier of the two considering they managed to keep the Premier League’s table-toppers at bay but that all changed in the 41st minute as Noni Madueke drew first blood.
Hosts Mansfield were resilient when returning from the changing room and it paid off just before the 50-minute mark as substitute striker Will Evans pounced on a poor mistake and struck his effort past Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Arsenal goal.
It took Eberechi Eze’s substitution to change the game and regain Arsenal’s one-goal lead. Four minutes after entering the fray, the tricky Englishman shifted the ball past two Mansfield defenders and blasted the ball beyond Liam Roberts.
Match Highlights
More to follow…
Arsenal Player Ratings vs Mansfield
Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6/10
Much busier than expected early on, Arsenal’s typical back-up goalkeeper remained alert to Mansfield’s flurry of chances around the 10-minute mark. The Spaniard was poor in terms of Mansfield’s goal, allowing Evans’ shot to go underneath him too easily.
Marli Salmon (62′) – 5.5/10
Started well on the right-hand side of a back three and also thrived at right-back when Hincapie entered the fray. Despite his tender age, the 16-year-old looked comfortable – up until his poor ball.
Cristhian Mosquera – 5/10
A commanding figure in the heart of the defence but he was often hesitant when Mansfield were on the attack. Side-stepped way too easily for Mansfield’s goal and proved why he either needs a run of matches or some time on the bench to recuperate.
Riccardo Calafiori (77′) – 6/10
The most experienced member of Arsenal’s back three, Calafiori burst up the flank when given the opportunity but looked a tad shaky in the first half. Moving to a back four settled the Italian’s nerves.
Christian Norgaard – 6/10
Often a lone wolf in the middle of the park, Norgaard could often be seen floating in the pockets and asking for the ball. His experience was invaluable in a less-seasoned side.
Kai Havertz (62′) – 4/10
Positive on the ball, Havertz linked up well with Dowman (who is ten years his junior) in the middle in moments. As the match wore on, though, the versatile German looked more and more spent – as expected of a player with very little game time under his belt of late.
Leandro Trossard (38′) – 3/10
Trossard’s shot just before the 10-minute mark was saved – but the Belgian was offside anyway. After being rather ineffective, he picked up an injury and was replaced by Piero Hincapie in the 38th minute.
Max Dowman (77′) – 7.5/10
Becoming the club’s youngest-ever FA Cup player, the 16-year-old broke through early on but produced a poor shot. A young head on old shoulders, Arsenal’s record-breaker proved what the hype is about.
Noni Madueke – 4/10
Somewhat out of position as a right-back/right-wing back, Madueke’s tricky feet caused problems but his final ball often lacked conviction. His left-footed shot, which resulted in the opener, was brilliant.
Gabriel Jesus – 4/10
Led the line with his usual energy in the opening embers but he was largely anonymous for large parts of the cup encounter. This was the perfect chance to prove what he’s made of – and the Brazilian didn’t grasp it with both hands.
Gabriel Martinelli – 3/10
A difficult showing for the Brazilian, who could be on the chopping block this summer. He produced the assist for Madueke’s opener – but it was a simple pass into the box and there was not much to write home about.
Subs
Piero Hincapie (38′) – 7/10
Moved into the centre-back role and provided Arsenal with defensive stability, though he did often hold onto the ball for too long.
Eberechi Eze (62′) – 6/10
Did well for Arsenal’s second of the affair after shifting and shooting.
Jurrien Timber (62′) – 3/10
Looked spent despite coming off the bench to replace Salmon; it would’ve been ideal to keep away from the action but needs must!
Jaden Dixion (77′) – 2/10
Made his Arsenal debut in tricky conditions but looked rather comfortable considering his age and lack of experience.
Bukayo Saka (77′) – 3/10
Picked up pockets in between the fatigued Mansfield lines and was lively.
Man of the Match – Max Dowman
It’s fair to say that it wasn’t a vintage Arsenal performance and from an all-round perspective, one would feel inclined to hand this award to a player from the home side… but Dowman impressed for the Gunners.
In what was a rather confusing set-up from Arteta and his staff, the twinkle-toed Englishman danced around defenders and performed at such a high level, which was mightily impressive.
The below-foot conditions were not brilliant – but that didn’t matter in the mind of Dowman, who still looked to add flair and pizzazz to his display.
He did that in abundance and looked a cut above the the likes of Martinelli, Trossard and Madueke – a trio of players who have much more experience than today’s Man of the Match. Arteta and Arsenal have got a real gem on their hands, haven’t they?
