Mansfield Town vs Arsenal predictions and betting tips – Gunners continue quadruple dream

Top of the Premier League, EFL Cup finalists and on the kinder side of the Champions League bracket, Arsenal fans are starting to dream about the possibility of a four-trophy season.

That is unlikely for many reasons, but the Gunners will fancy their chances of beating Mansfield Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend.

• Arsenal with a -2 handicap – 8/13 with BetMGM
• Arsenal to win both halves – 4/6 with bet365
• Kai Havertz to score any time – 10/11 with SBK

Mansfield Town vs Arsenal odds

Find the latest Mansfield Town vs Arsenal betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

Mansfield Town vs Arsenal predictions

After all that, it was Manchester City who blinked first.

Ever since City reignited their Premier League title hopes with a 2-1 win at Anfield last month, the pressure on Arsenal has gradually been building.

At times they have struggled to handle it. Draws with Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers raised confidence levels at the Etihad Stadium. But over the last couple of weeks, Arsenal have found their focus again. 

Until the midweek round of games, City had played before Mikel Arteta’s men in each of the three previous matchdays. 

The weekend before last, for instance, Arsenal had to respond on Sunday to City’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle United the previous day. That is what they did, thumping Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in the north London derby.

Next up for City was a visit to Leeds United last Saturday, with Antoine Semenyo notching the only goal of the game. Would Arsenal wilt under the heat? Not this time: they beat Chelsea 2-1 to restore their five-point buffer at the summit of the standings.

Then, on Wednesday night, both title contenders kicked off at the same time. Arsenal had the tougher fixture on paper: a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion, compared to a home game against Nottingham Forest for City.

Yet while Arsenal took care of business, triumphing 1-0 on the south coast thanks to an early Bukayo Saka goal, City stumbled against relegation-threatened Forest.

A 2-2 draw for Guardiola’s men means they are now seven points adrift of Arsenal. City have a game in hand, and the Gunners must still visit the Etihad, but the north Londoners now have a substantial cushion in top spot.

That is bad news for Mansfield Town. Arsenal have bought themselves some breathing space in the title race, so they are now able to put their full focus on this weekend’s FA Cup tie.

Granted, Arteta will still shuffle his pack for the trip to Field Mill, not least because Arsenal have a Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen coming up on Wednesday. 

But if results had gone against Arsenal in midweek, the FA Cup would have suddenly seemed much less important. As it is, Arteta’s side will not feel the need to sacrifice anything right now. On four fronts, it is full steam ahead for Arsenal.

Mansfield Town vs Arsenal betting tips

Mansfield Town host Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup at lunchtime on Saturday.

Arsenal to breeze through 

Mansfield Town are managed by Nigel Clough, son of Brian. Clough Jr. has a track record of taking lower-league sides into the latter stages of domestic cup competitions.

Clough led Sheffield United to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the EFL Cup, and Burton Albion to the last four of the EFL Cup. 

Could he mastermind another major upset when Arsenal head to the East Midlands on Saturday? Unfortunately for Mansfield, it is hard to see it happening.

Arsenal have such tremendous strength in depth that they should be able to win this one comfortably even with a much-changed side.

A victory by a three-goal margin or more is well within reach for Arteta’s men.

Select Arsenal with a -2 handicap at 8/13 with BetMGM

Arsenal should dominate 

Arsenal will have been buoyed by Manchester City’s stumble on Wednesday and we will probably see that reflected in their performance.

The Gunners have been criticised at times for a perceived cautious approach, but this is an opportunity for them to go out and play with a flourish against lower-league opposition.

Mansfield Town have done brilliantly to reach the fifth round, but they are currently in the bottom half of League One and have been in poor form recently.

All things considered, Arsenal should not encounter too many problems here. The away team can triumph either side of half-time.

Choose Arsenal to win both halves at 4/6 with bet365

Havertz worth a punt

It is hard to predict exactly which changes Arteta will make on Saturday, but Viktor Gyokeres is likely to be rested after a run of starts of late.

Kai Havertz replaced him on the hour at Brighton and the Germany international could feature from the first whistle against Mansfield Town.

It is to Arsenal’s credit that they have coped so well without Havertz, who was one of their most useful players last term.

The former Chelsea man will be chomping at the bit to get involved again after an injury-hit campaign. Do not be surprised if he makes the most of his opportunity by finding the net.

Choose Kai Havertz to score any time at 10/11 with SBK

Mansfield Town vs Arsenal predicted lineups

• Mansfield Town expected lineup: Roberts; Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy; Akins, Lewis, Reed, McLaughlin; Evans, Roberts; Oates.
• Arsenal expected lineup: Kepa; Mosquera, Salmon, Gabriel, Calafiori; Norgaard, Zubimendi; Madueke, Eze, Trossard; Havertz.

Where to watch Mansfield Town vs Arsenal

• Location: One Call Stadium, Mansfield, England.
• Date and time: Saturday 7th March, 12.15pm.
• How to watch: TNT Sports 1.

More FA Cup predictions

We have plenty more FA Cup predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.