"Arsenal withstood a flurry of early chances for their League One hosts as they struggled to adapt to a new formation, but an injury to Leandro Trossard and subsequent reversion to their familiar setup reaped instant rewards. Just two minutes after the Belgian was withdrawn, Noni Madueke swept home the opening goal from the edge of the area."
"Mass rotation was expected from Mikel Arteta but the promotion of two 16-year-olds to the starting lineup underscored the Spaniard's faith in his academy. Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, who shared a combined nine senior appearances prior to kick off, were named in the starting lineup, rubbing shoulders with a host of first-team stars."
"Dowman made history by becoming Arsenal's youngest ever starter in the FA Cup and was a welcome returnee after a lengthy injury absence. The precocious teenager made an immediate impact, too, seeing an early effort rebuffed and almost grabbing an assist after teeing up Gabriel Martinelli."
Arsenal narrowly overcame Mansfield Town 2-1 in the FA Cup fifth round to progress toward their quadruple dreams. The Gunners struggled initially with a new formation and faced early pressure from their League One opponents. After Leandro Trossard's injury forced a tactical reversion, Noni Madueke scored the opening goal. Mansfield equalized through Will Evans following a defensive error, but Eberechi Eze restored Arsenal's lead from the bench. Despite mass rotation and an uninspiring display, Arsenal held firm defensively to secure victory. Notably, 16-year-old academy graduates Max Dowman and Marli Salmon started, with Dowman becoming Arsenal's youngest FA Cup starter and providing the match's brightest attacking moments.
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