Mansfield Town vs Arsenal Lineups March 2026 – FA Cup matches are always synonymous with surprises, and one match that has the potential to present an interesting story is the duel between Mansfield Town and Arsenal.

The home team, which is not highly favored, will attempt to create a major surprise when hosting one of the most successful clubs in the history of this competition.

The match is scheduled to take place at Field Mill on Saturday, March 07, 2026 at 12.45 local time.

The Stags surprisingly managed to defeat Burnley, who are struggling in the Premier League, with a score of 2-1 to earn the opportunity to face the leaders of the top division standings, who easily defeated Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic in their first two matches.

Now, before this match begins, let us take a look at Mansion Sports’ prediction for the Mansfield Town vs Arsenal lineups March 2026 below.

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Mansfield Town

The odds are clearly not in Mansfield’s favor, but that did not stop The Stags at Turf Moor, where Burnley’s troubled 2025-26 season reached another low point thanks to an outstanding free kick in the fourth-round match.

The opening goal from Josh Laurent seemed set to lead Scott Parker’s team to a comfortable victory, but an equalizing header from Rhys Oates was then followed by a remarkable winning goal from a set piece by Louis Reed — perhaps not at the same level as Declan Rice against Real Madrid, but still extraordinary in its own way.

Mansfield’s surprising success at Burnley’s home ground allowed The Stags to end a 51-year wait to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup again, and Saturday’s match carries very special significance for manager Nigel Clough; his father Brian Clough managed his final match with Nottingham Forest against Arsenal in 1993, and the current Mansfield coach also played in that 2-0 defeat.

Despite the sentimental story, the hosts have failed to build momentum from their unforgettable victory at Turf Moor, recording no wins in four League One matches since that result — collecting only two points from the 12 points available — and as a result dropping to 16th place in the League One standings.

Clough’s side have also failed to score in three of those four matches — most recently playing out a goalless draw against Rotherham United on Tuesday night — but whatever the result on Saturday, the fans should enjoy the moment of their first meeting with Arsenal in 97 years; The Gunners won their last FA Cup encounter in 1929 with a score of 2-0.

Arsenal

From the era when they comfortably won the FA Cup to a period when they suffered several early eliminations, Arsenal have finally managed to end a rather worrying curse in this prestigious competition by reaching the fifth round for the first time since their record-extending 14th triumph in the 2019-20 season.

Portsmouth and Wigan were not comparable opponents for Mikel Arteta’s team in the third and fourth rounds, as Arsenal managed to score four goals against the two former champions of this competition in 2008 and 2013, while maintaining their hopes of winning four trophies in one season in 2025-26.

Since the 2012-13 season, Arsenal have never been eliminated in the fifth round of the FA Cup — Arteta himself was part of The Gunners squad that lost to Blackburn Rovers that year — and the visiting team must go back to 1992 for the last time they were eliminated by a team playing in the third division or lower.

Nevertheless, the FA Cup can arguably be considered only one additional target for Arsenal while they also pursue the Premier League and Champions League titles, and The Gunners took a major step toward the league title after a 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday, on a night when Manchester City failed to secure a victory against Nottingham Forest.

Now sitting more comfortably at the top of the Premier League standings — seven points ahead to be precise — Arsenal arrive at Field Mill with a record of 10 matches unbeaten in all competitions and an impressive run of 12 away matches without defeat, which is their longest streak since Arteta took over as coach.

Mansfield Town vs Arsenal Lineups March 2026

Mansfield Town (3-4-2-1)

Mansfield must host Arsenal without their captain Ryan Sweeney, who cannot play due to a hamstring problem, and a similar injury could also keep fellow defender Baily Cargill out until the end of the season.

The Stags also received another untimely blow against Rotherham when defender Luke Bolton had to be substituted after playing only 13 minutes due to a calf injury, and his participation in Saturday’s historic match remains uncertain.

Arsenal (4-3-3)

The only player confirmed to be absent for Arsenal in Saturday’s match at this time is Mikel Merino — who is still several months away from returning after undergoing foot surgery — while William Saliba (ankle), Martin Odegaard (knee) and Ben White (unspecified injury) remain doubtful.

Arteta’s midfield problems will also not be helped by the absence of Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has received two yellow cards in the FA Cup this season and therefore must serve a one-match suspension this weekend.

With Lewis-Skelly suspended, Merino absent and Declan Rice likely to be rested, the experiment of placing Bukayo Saka in midfield that worked very well against Wigan could become one option for the visiting team, but the England international is also likely to be saved for the Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen.

As a result, Kai Havertz is likely to occupy a deeper role to support Gabriel Jesus, who has recorded remarkable involvement in 20 goals from 19 cup matches against non-Premier League teams.

This match clearly presents an interesting story between an underdog team and one of the giants of English football.

Mansfield Town certainly want to repeat the surprise they created when eliminating Burnley, while Arsenal arrive with great ambition to continue their journey in the FA Cup.

With the various factors involved, this match is very interesting to follow, especially for fans who want to know the Mansfield Town vs Arsenal Lineups March 2026 and see whether another major surprise will occur in the oldest competition in the world.