"Mansfield are 16th in League One, too close to the relegation line for the comfort of the manager, Nigel Clough. The Stags have gone nine league matches without a win. Arsenal are chasing the quadruple and there was a revealing moment when Clough considered the chasm in quality between the squads. We drew Arsenal here in the FA Youth Cup and they beat us 4-1, he said of a third-round tie played in December."
"Arteta is expected to make wholesale changes as he manages a congested schedule; his team play at Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday. So maybe that will even the playing field a little – although it would only be a little. Arsenal have possibly the deepest squad in England."
"There is something else at play, a narrative that picked up further steam as Arsenal won at Brighton on Wednesday. The club have a target on their back, partly because of their dominance in every competition thus far, partly because of how they have achieved it. Everyone seems to be firing at it."
Arsenal travels to Mansfield Town for an FA Cup fifth-round match selected for television coverage, presenting classic David versus Goliath storylines. Mansfield, languishing 16th in League One without a win in nine matches, face a vastly superior Arsenal squad chasing the quadruple. Manager Nigel Clough acknowledged the quality gap, noting Arsenal's youth team defeated Mansfield 4-1 in December. Arteta plans wholesale changes to manage fixture congestion before Wednesday's Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen. While Arsenal possess England's deepest squad, Mansfield's inferior pitch conditions at Field Mill might provide marginal advantage. Arsenal carries increased scrutiny following their dominance across competitions and recent complaints about time-wasting tactics from opposing managers.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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