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One of the ties of the third round of the FA Cup takes place tonight between League One side Oxford and Premier League leaders Arsenal. The Gunners may well be the most successful team in the competition’s history yet that only means that anything but a win at the Kassam Stadium will be a mighty upset.
Dumped out at this stage last year, Arsenal have not experienced back-to-back third-round defeats since 1996. Yet, despite winning the tournament in 2020, they have more often than not struggled to put FA Cup runs together in recent times. Having already been sent packing in the Carabao Cup, Mikel Arteta’s side will see this game as the start of a key route to silverware.
Oxford, sat 15th in League One, have only reached the fourth round once in their last five attempts. Follow all the action live via Standard Sport’s match blog with Simon Collings providing expert analysis from the ground!
Live updates
Simon Collings at Kassam Stadium
Vieira finally come to life in this game. No doubt Arteta was into him at half-time. Looks a different player.
GGGOOOOAAALLL!!! Oxford 0-2 Arsenal
70 mins: Nketiah strolls around the goalkeeper and applies the finish!
Another fine ball from Vieira for his second assist of the night and the Gunners are almost assured of a place in the fourth round.
Simon Collings at Kassam Stadium
Elneny being serenaded by the Arsenal fans. A scrappy goal to sum up a scrappy game.
65 mins: Oxford look for an instant riposte but Wildschut can’t fire off anything convincing from two bites of the cherry inside the box.
GGGOOOOAAALLLL!!!! Oxford 0-1 Arsenal
63 mins: Elneny with a bullet header!!
Martinelli teases a foul out of Anderson and Vieira’s cross is superb, landing square on the Egyptian’s head for a powerful finish.
Arsenal substitutions
60 mins: Arsenal substitutions as Lokonga and Tierney come off for Xhaka and Zinchenko.
Oxford bring Murphy off for Wildschut.
58 mins: Oxford threatening now as first Brown’s long throw then wicked cross from the left demand some fine defensive clearances.
The left-back is then booked for sending Nketiah to the ground.
55 mins: Something building for Arsenal with a fresh spell of corners and Saka almost catches McGinty out direct with a near-post delivery, which has the goalkeeper scrambling to parry away!
54 mins: Saka checks inside from the byline and drives a shot-cross which Bate turns behind for a corner.
52 mins: Arsenal want a free-kick as Long sends Nketiah to the ground on the touchline but nothing doing.
Oxford come forward and another ball into the box draws some hectic defending as Tomiyasu gets clear.
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