We’re getting to the business end of the English FA Cup. In typical Cup fashion, there are a lot of heavy hitters left alongside plenty of Cinderella stories. Premier League leading Arsenal will show down with League One side Mansfield Town to decide who gets to the quarterfinals.
Arsenal is a -1200 ML favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. A Mansfield Town upset is priced at +2000 odds, with the draw at +250. The over/under for this game is set at 3.5 goals. Let’s get into a prediction and a pick for this matchup.
Mansfield Town vs. Arsenal prediction, pick
Arsenal’s play this season speaks for itself. In Premier League action, they have conceded the fewest goals while being tied for first in total goals scored. They lead the title race by seven points with eight games left to play, and have to be feeling good about their chances. The Gunners are also handling business in Cup play, beating Portsmouth 4-1 before handling Wigan 4-0. Now they have a chance to keep rolling toward a trophy.
Mansfield Town got here by the skin of their teeth. First was a 3-2 win over Harrogate Town, then a dramatic victory over Accrington in penalties. They pulled a big upset by beating Sheffield Wednesday 4-3, then a bigger one by taking down Premier League side Burnley 2-1. That’s four one-goal wins in four tries, with two of them coming against higher division sides. For a fourth-division team fighting relegation in their own league, being here in the first place is nothing short of incredible.
For Mansfield to win, they need to park the bus like nobody has ever parked the bus before. Stay in a deep shell, keep Arsenal’s attackers in front of you, and hope to break on the counter. Allowing this to be an open, free-flowing affair is how you get burned. They’ve got a strong veteran goalkeeper in Liam Roberts who will be leaned on heavily for the entirety of the match. The entire back line in front of Roberts is full of veterans, and they have a hefty task in front of them.
But I don’t see that playing to their advantage. Arsenal has a talented attack, and plenty of players like Declan Rice who can pick corners from outside the box. They’re built for putting the hurt on teams playing in deep. This is going to be another comfortable romp for Arsenal with plenty of goals in it.
