Arsenal told to “brace themselves” for pitch nightmare ahead of major run-in test

Our Seeing Red podcast hosts discussed Arsenal’s upcoming trip to Mansfield Town where a tricky pitch could be a problem for the Gunners.

Arsenal have been given a stern warning of what they face in the FA Cup at the weekend ahead of their clash with Mansfield Town. Their fourth lower league opposition of the season in cup competitions.

They managed to get past both Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup to set up this meeting with The Stags. On the way to the Carabao Cup final, they won at a noisy Port Vale too, showing they can indeed do it at a cold midweek night in Stoke(ish).

However, after a dreadfully wet winter and early spring, even the Emirates pitch has come in for scrutiny. So, imagine how some of the grounds lower down the pyramid must be.

Well, we got the scoop from our Seeing Red podcast hosts, Tom Canton and John Cross, on the latest episode. Crossie went into the infamous cup upsets down the years before providing the insight into what might bring the two sides closer together at the weekend.

“I remember certain games in the cup competitions, for Arsenal. Obviously, Wrexham is incredibly famous when Arsenal were at the top of the English league, and Wrexham at the bottom, and then got knocked out.

“And also, they'd gone ahead. I mean, how that happened, I just, you know, bizarre! Absolutely bizarre, and it was a sticky spell for that particular team!

“And then they go out. But I also remember, 1985, York City, Steve Williams, a last-minute penalty.

"On an absolute ice rink of a pitch. And that plays into Mansfield a bit. A great pal of mine, who's a scout, went to a game at Mansfield on Saturday, watched the game, and he actually sent me a clip.

“The pitch, when we talk about levellers… Get ready for it. Brace yourself, because the pitch is going to be a leveller.

“It is very muddy. It's certainly not Premier League quality at all!”

“So that is going to be a thing. That's going to be, yeah, a leveller. I do remember another one, Hereford, I think, 1-1.

“I think they snatched an away draw, and then brought them back out. I remember going to the replay at Highbury with my dad, and they won 7-2. And so it turned around pretty quickly, and it's all about the home and the away.

“The away tie always gives that kind of giant-killing opportunity,

Canton remembered a more recent example, too. Saying: “Arteta is no stranger to it either, because Nottingham Forest, when they were in the Championship, knocked out Arteta and Arsenal as well during that period.”