Arsenal face a tough competitive environment when they face Mansfield in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday as they aim to reach the last eight.
Arteta must decide whether to risk his big star on Mansfield’s tricky surface (Image: Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta will be in for a culture shock this weekend at Mansfield Town. Arteta will lead Arsenal to the Ligue 1 club as they aim for a fourth title in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The pitch is said to be a “tricky surface,” so it is expected to be a big challenge. Mansfield played AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, drawing 2-2, but the recent record rainfall made playing conditions very difficult.
AFC Wimbledon manager Jonny Jackson said: “It was a very difficult game, physically tough because it was raining and the conditions were not good. So we knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to be our best game.”
“The pitch was really difficult to play on, so it was a really good game considering that. But I was very happy with the way we attacked when we had to do it away and fought back twice from behind, which is not easy to do, especially in these conditions.”
read more: Arsenal’s latest injuries and hopes for a return – Declan Rice’s fear, Martin Odegaard’s situationread more: Interesting comparison with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and title winner Arsene Wenger at the same stage
Mansfield manager Nigel Clough has done a fantastic job and they have already qualified for the FA Cup after defeating Sheffield United and then Premier League side Burnley in the final round. Both draws were won away.
The 9,000-capacity ground is a world away from the luxury of the Premier League, and is proving to be a real challenge for Arsenal.
The day will be broadcast live on Saturday lunchtime and may bring back memories of Arsenal’s FA Cup fifth round defeat to York City in 1985, or the even worse defeat at Wrexham in 1992, when the Gunners were defending champions and the Welsh club hit rock bottom.
Gunners boss Arteta will travel to Brighton on Wednesday night as he chases glory in the Premier League title race. This will be followed by a Champions League last-16 match against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
This means that many of the first-team regular starters are likely to be rested, with Arsenal almost certainly looking to rest and rotate the squad at Mansfield.
Mansfield manager Nigel Clough (Image: Getty Images)
Make mirrors your first choice. Click here to enable or add us as a preferred source in your Google search settings
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristian Mosquera, Miles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Norgaard, as well as Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueque could be brought in.
Arteta will not want to take too many risks on a pitch that is already heavily patchy and looking heavy and the mud will only get worse if there is further bad weather this week.
Respected scout Alan Randall watched the match and was full of praise for Mansfield as a club, but said further rain could cause problems.
“It’s the pitch that will cause problems. It’s going to be a tricky surface. If we get more heavy rain this week, Mikel Artetta will have to seriously consider his line-up,” Randall said.
“It’s a friendly club but today could be a difficult day for the Gunners. They may need more experience than the kids and some players may find it difficult to show their talent.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
