Arsenal secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup after defeating League One side Oxford United 3-0.
A brace from Eddie Nketiah along with a Mohamed Elneny header secured Mikel Arteta’s side’s passage into the fourth round despite a valiant effort from their lower league counterparts.
This was the first meeting between the two clubs since they met in the FA Cup third round 20 years ago, and whilst the odds were stacked heavily in Mikel Arteta’s side’s favour with his side 59 league places above their hosts, they struggled to get a foothold in the early stages of the game. The heavy nature of the pitch not allowing the Gunners to play at their fast-paced, free-flowing best.
Although Karl Robinson’s men were lacking the quality of Arsenal’s star-studded line-up, their refusal to shy away from the challenge of the Premier League leaders was welcomed by the Oxford faithful, with a couple of fiery exchanges between Cameron Brannagan and Kieran Tierney the highlight of a tepid opening 20 minutes at the Kassam Stadium.
