Mansfield Town vs Arsenal LIVE: Evans equalises to stun Gunners after Madueke opener

Arsenal take on Mansfield Town in the FA Cup fifth round at Field Hill. The Gunners can reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2020, having already reached the Carabao Cup final, where they will take on Manchester City in a couple of weeks.

Mikel Arteta has a busy week coming with a trip to Bayer Leverkusen before hosting Everton with the Premier League title very much on the line. But this game will allow some rotation in his side and to give minutes to players who have not been used as much.

However, one player who will not be involved to the frustrations of many is Myles Lewis-Skelly. His yellow cards in each of the third round win over Portsmouth and fourth round victory against Wigan Athletic mean he is suspended.

William Saliba, Ben White and Martin Odegaard are still recovering from issues while Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee. Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi were all also absent from the streamed training session on Friday and therefore could also be missing.

Tom Canton, our Arsenal reporter, will keep you up to date with all the build-up, match commentary and reaction live from Field Hill. Updates to follow:

13:35Tom Canton

Arsenal changes

Kai Havertz and Marli Salmon are off.

Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber come on.

13:32Tom Canton

Let off

Another turnover in midfield and Mansfield are in but the chance is waited after a greedy attempt from outside the box.

13:27Tom Canton

Dowman again...

So good with the ball at his feet and dances through the midfield defence before forcing a save.

13:23KEY EVENT

Goal! Mansfield Town 1-1 Arsenal

The home side have scored!

Terrible mistake by Mosquera who decides not to close the ball down after a loose pass from Salmon and he is beaten.

13:21Tom Canton

Good start by Arsenal

Certainly already in control here and Dowman and Calafiori causing problems.

13:18Tom Canton

Second half

We are underway here, Arsenal 45 minutes from another quarter-final.

13:03Tom Canton

Half-time ratings

Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6

Marli Salmon – 6

Cristhian Mosquera – 6

Riccardo Calafiori – 7

Noni Madueke – 7

Max Dowman – 7

Christian Norgaard – 6

Kai Havertz – 6

Gabriel Martinelli – 7

Leandro Trossard – 5

Gabriel Jesus – 5

Substitutes:

Piero Hincapie - 4

12:56KEY EVENT

GOAL! Mansfield 0-1 Arsenal (Madueke)

Madueke scores!

Good work on the break and Madueke cuts inside off the right, strikes and the keeper pushes the ball away.

Martinelli picks up the rebound, finds Madueke again in the box who curls it top right.

12:49Tom Canton

Good chance for both sides

Max Dowman first having another shot which is straight at the keeper.

Then Calafiori is beaten by Oates and has the chance to cross but Kepa saves.

12:43Tom Canton

Handball calls

Madueke tries the cross and it might have come off the number 20s arm. It will be a corner.

12:40Matt Maltby

Arsenal find their groove

Mansfield have had chances to take the lead, but Arsenal are beginning to find their rhythm now.

If they are to find a goal, you suspect Dowman will be involved. He's been a bright spark so far and he's just found Trossard, who fires his effort high and wide.

12:33Tom Canton

More chances

Mansfield have been the better team at attacking no doubt about it. Another chance goes wide on the volley.

12:29Tom Canton

Two big chances

Mansfield have come alive here and have taken two shots from outside the box causing problems for the Gunners back line.

12:25Tom Canton

Dazzling Dowman

So far, the youngster has been the best player on the pitch and should have scored with his early chance.

12:20Matt Maltby

Promising start for Mansfield

Mansfield are up for this and they've started this match with a high intensity.

Early days but Arsenal have struggled to get hold of the ball in the opening three minutes.

12:16Matt Maltby

KICK OFF

We're underway at Mansfield Town, where the League One club will be looking to cause a huge FA Cup fifth-round shock against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Can they? We'll soon find out...

12:05Tom Canton

Marseille 'make permanent Ethan Nwaneri transfer decision' after latest Arsenal loan hitch

Reports in France indicate Marseille have already accepted that Ethan Nwaneri will not be at the club next season.

OM are currently facing heavy scrutiny in their homeland after they were knocked out of the Coupe de France on penalties against Toulouse in midweek.

The result means Marseille cannot win silverware this season, and they're now locked in an intense dogfight to secure Champions League qualification for the 2026-27 campaign.

Article continues here.

12:02Tom Canton

Bayer Leverkusen star doubt for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta given double Champions League boost

Arsenal had already received a boost in their European campaign after discovering their route to a potential first UEFA Champions League final in 20 years had opened up following the draw. They face Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16, and should they win, could have either Bodo Glimt or Sporting CP in the quarter-final.

Leverkusen squeezed past Olympiacos in the play-off round, winning on the road and then holding the Greeks to a 0-0 draw in Germany. Patrik Schick scored both goals in Athens.

The Czech striker has 13 goals and three assists this season, the top scorer ahead of Alex Grimaldo, who has 11 so far. However, there is a potential doubt over his availability for the clash with the Gunners.

Article continues here.

11:49Tom Canton

Kai Havertz can win Arsenal the title as Brighton win showcases grit in trying circumstances

Head pounding, heart racing. Eight more times? I’m not sure I can do it.

That was, without a doubt, one of the worst and best experiences of this club’s season, and it could be a moment which ends up defining it. Not only did Arsenal secure an away win, but their main rivals, Manchester City, dropped points at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.

If you look at the two performances, you would never have thought that the outcomes would diverge so significantly. But that’s football and in a week where Mikel Arteta admitted that his side had plenty of players carrying issues and problems with some even unable to train ahead of the game, they fought their way to three points.

Article continues here.

11:35Tom Canton

Mansfield Town team announced

Mansfield Town: Roberts, Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy, Akins, Abbott, Reed, McLaughlin, Russell, T.Roberts, Oates

Subs: H.Lewis, Hewitt, Bowery, A.Lewis, Hendry, Moriah-Welsh, Irow, Evans, Adeboyejo

11:25Tom Canton

Arsenal team announced

Arsenal: Kepa, Salmon, Mosquera, Calafiori, Trossard, Norgaard, Madueke, Havertz, Martinelli, Dowman, Jesus.

Subs: Setford, Hincapie, Saka, Eze, Timber, Gyokeres, Dixon, Harriman-Annous, Ibrahim.

11:25Tom Canton

Declan Rice and Gabriel among eight Arsenal players missing in training ahead of Mansfield

Arsenal have completed their final training session before their trip to the East Midlands in the FA Cup fifth round, where they will face Mansfield Town. The Gunners have a tricky test ahead of them with the League One side having already eliminated Premier League Burnley from the competition.

The game comes at a good time for Mikel Arteta, who has just seen his team secure a vital 1-0 win over Brighton in the Premier League. The victory coincided with Manchester City dropping points at home to Nottingham Forest, handing the Gunners a seven-point lead.

Heading out to train before this trip to Mansfield, the expectation is that some players will be missing for the game. Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee, while Martin Odegaard remains out for the short term, with doubts over William Saliba that were confirmed by his absence from the training session streamed on Arsenal’s new app.

Article continues here.

11:25Tom Canton

Arsenal line-ups vs Mansfield decided as 16-year-old duo start in nine changes

Arsenal take a break from the Premier League title race this weekend when they head to Mansfield Town in the FA Cup on the back of three straight top-flight wins.

While the League One side are not to be underestimated, this contest is a chance for Mikel Arteta to shuffle his pack and recharge ahead of next week's Champions League trip to Bayer Leverkusen.

The big games keep on coming for the Gunners and while they're targeting FA Cup glory, it is now surely time for some of the club's fringe players to step up and make a big contribution.

Article continues here.

11:25Tom Canton

Every word Mikel Arteta said on Mansfield Town vs Arsenal, Saliba, cup aims and pitch conditions

Mikel Arteta spoke to the media ahead of his Arsenal side’s clash with Mansfield Town in the FA Cup fifth round. The Gunners travel to Field Mill on Saturday for a lunchtime kick-off with the hope of reaching a quarter-final for the first time since 2020.

The Gunners are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, and Arteta spoke in the wake of the win at Brighton, still basking in the joy of the three points. He spoke on the jump to different competitions, with the Champions League coming next week.

While rumours of the pitch being particularly poor were also put to the Spaniard, who enjoyed discussing the magic of the competition. Mansfield earned their place in this round of the competition after knocking out Burnley in the fourth round at Turf Moor.

Read every word from the pre-match press conference here.

11:25Tom Canton

Arsenal predicted XI vs Mansfield Town as Salmon and Dowman start among eight changes

Arsenal take on Mansfield Town in the FA Cup in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Mikel Arteta has limited options due to both suspensions (Myles Lewis-Skelly) and injuries, as William Saliba, Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino remain out.

Furthermore, the game is likely an opportunity to rest certain players as Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber were not spotted in pre-match training. Considering the opponent, it might also give some younger players the opportunity for involvement in the fixture.

The FA Cup has likely dropped to the fourth-most important competition for the Gunners after reaching the Carabao Cup final. They travel to Germany on Tuesday for the clash with Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 of the UEFA Champions League and have the edge in the title race.

Article continues here.

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