Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory over League One side Mansfield Town to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, with manager Mikel Arteta opting to rest key midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi ahead of Champions League action.
Mikel Arteta made nine changes for Arsenal’s fifth-round tie at Mansfield, notably excluding Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi from the matchday squad.
Following a grueling midweek win at Brighton, Arteta emphasized the need to manage his squad with a Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen looming.
He remarked, “We know the difficulty of the challenge, it’s always really tough to win and earn the right to go through.”
The Gunners narrowly progressed with a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Noni Madueke and substitute Eberechi Eze.
Mansfield’s Will Evans briefly equalized after a mistake by teenage debutant Marli Salmon, but Arsenal’s superior depth eventually told.
Reflecting on the heavy rotation and the inclusion of youngsters like Max Dowman, Arteta noted the importance of the tournament’s traditions, stating, “That’s the beauty of this competition, we are able to play in various contexts.”