One Hundred Goals Prove Arsenal's Special Squad

MANSFIELD, SATURDAY — Arsenal may not have a prolific goal scorer, but they have managed to become the first team from the Premier League to score one hundred goals. This is sufficient to demonstrate the depth of the squad and the diversification of "The Gunners'" special arsenal. Thanks to this uniqueness, they still have the potential to sweep four titles by early March.

Arsenal advanced to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after defeating Mansfield Town 2-1 at One Call Stadium, Mansfield, on Saturday (7/3/2026 WIB). Although they were only up against a third division team (League One), they faced considerable difficulty. Arsenal took the lead first with a goal from Noni Madueke, but were briefly stunned by an equalizer from Mansfield substitute Will Evans.

The great spirit of the Mansfield squad is strongly felt in front of their home crowd. "The players are aware that they may not find themselves in this position again. Mansfield may not face Arsenal again. So I hope we create memories for the supporters, just like when Liverpool came here 13 years ago," said Mansfield Coach Nigel Clough.

The visiting team also faced difficulties as they had to adapt to a new formation. Arsenal employed a three-defender formation, 3-5-1-1, for the first time in a long while. Manager Mikel Arteta was compelled to adopt this approach due to the need to rotate the squad extensively. A total of nine players from the previous match were replaced.

Forward Eberechi Eze became Arsenal's savior from the bench. He scored the winning goal just four minutes after entering the field. Despite the difficulties throughout the match that ideally should not have occurred, they still advanced to the next round and continue to maintain their dream of a quadruple or winning four titles simultaneously.

Arsenal returned from Mansfield's home with a special record. They became the first English team to surpass one hundred goals across all competitions this season, specifically 101 goals from 46 matches. This productivity is the main secret of "The Gunners" to consistently compete in four competitions simultaneously.

Upon closer examination, the distribution of contributions to goals by Bukayo Saka and his teammates is quite unique. They have scored a significant number of goals, yet lack a true goal-scoring machine to rely on. Only two of their players have reached double digits in goals, namely Viktor Gyokeres (15 goals) and Gabriel Martinelli (11). The rest are evenly distributed.

Equal contributions can reflect the depth of the squad and the diversification of Arsenal's attack. All of their goals have been scored by 19 different players. Players from various positions have also been able to contribute, including defenders Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes, who have each contributed four goals.

The depth of Arsenal's squad is most evident in the attacking line, as seen at Mansfield's home ground. They utilized six forwards simultaneously, including Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz, to fill the gaps in the midfield. Meanwhile, midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi were not included in the squad to allow for full rest.

Interestingly, the goal scorers for Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup were Eze and Madueke. They are two of the eight players brought in last summer to strengthen the squad's depth. Eze and Madueke may not always be starting players, but they can contribute when needed.

The depth of the squad is what sets Arsenal apart this season, unlike the last three seasons when they failed to win consecutive titles. "We are trying to rotate as best as possible with the available squad. Of course, it is not easy with so many issues (injuries) since the beginning of the season," said Arteta.

As a context, Arsenal has had to play nearly every three days since the beginning of the season. They have only had a break of a week twice in the last three months. If they continue to progress in four competitions, "The Gunners" will face this busy schedule for the next two and a half months. That is why squad depth is crucial.

Eze said that all players, both core and reserve, are crucial to achieving the quadruple. "That (quadruple) is our goal and what we're striving for. Being in this position is important because it's what we wanted. Now we just need to go through the motions and trust the process," he said.

Although in a favorable position, Arsenal's challenges will become increasingly difficult as the season approaches its final phase. The luxury of their squad depth could be diminished by the number of matches. Arteta should be concerned about the recent injury issues, particularly with Trossard and defender Riccardo Calafiori, who had to be substituted during the match. (AP/REUTERS)