Eberechi Eze scored a sublime goal in the second half as Arsenal sealed a hard-fought 2-1 win over Mansfield in their FA Cup fifth round clash on Saturday.
The England international had only come on four minutes earlier, but it was his rocket that sent the Gunners on their way to the last eight as they avoided a major shock.
The League One side were determined to continue their shock run in the competition and started the clash on top against a youthful Arsenal side, who made history with 16-year-olds Max Dowman and Marli Salmon in their lineup.
The hosts dominated the early exchanges as the visitors struggled to threaten, until Noni Madueke broke the deadlock in the 41st minute with a superb effort.
Five minutes after the restart, the home side were in dreamland as they grabbed an equalizer through substitute Will Evans, following a mistake by teenage defender Salmon.
The impressive Dowman was then denied a goal on his return to the lineup after a lengthy injury lay-off, before Mansfield produced a stunning goal-line clearance to deny Arsenal a second.
Eze then came on and took just four minutes to make an impact, scoring with a brilliant effort into the corner to put Arsenal back in front.
Bukayo Saka also came on in the second half and was denied by a superb save from Roberts, while Mansfield also came close to an equalizer in the clash.
Mikel Arteta’s men closed out a 2-1 win against their League One hosts as they sealed progress to the last eight of the FA Cup and kept their dreams of a quadruple alive.
Arsenal will find out their opponents for the last eight with the draw set to take place on Monday night before the clash between West Ham United and Brentford.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
