Arsenal will face Oxford United in third-round of the FA Cup, with the Gunners set to travel north to Kassam Stadium where they will face the League One side for the first time in over 19 years.
Mikel Arteta won the FA Cup in his first season in charge of Arsenal. However, the 40-year-old has since had poor luck in the competition with the Gunners crashing out against Southampton and Nottingham Forest in the last two editions of the historic tournament.
With Arsenal flying high in the Premier League and through to the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League, we can expect Arteta to start a heavily-rotated side against Oxford come January, with some key players, such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka, likely to not even travel for the fixture.
Indeed, Oxford will be no easy test for Arsenal. Yet for some players in the squad, facing off against League One opposition will give them the platform to impress, and here are five names who could make a huge statement at the Kassam Stadium.
Lino Sousa
Lino Sousa only joined Arsenal earlier this year from West Bromwich Albion, but the defender has already turned up plenty of trees during his short time in north London, with the England youth international being named on a Premier League bench earlier this season.
And the FA Cup draw might have just handed the 17-year-old Lisbon-born left-back a chance to make his professional debut, with Arteta likely to rest both Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko against Oxford in favour of giving Sousa a shot amongst the seniors.
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Albert Sambi Lokonga has had a strange time at Arsenal, with the Belgian youngster making 13 appearances in all competitions yet once again continuing to struggle for consistent form and a true identity in the Gunners squad. And a clash against Oxford could make-or-break his season.
As mentioned, there’s a strong chance that Arteta will rest key midfielders such as Xhaka and Thomas Partey for this fixture. And for Lokonga, an impressive showing in the FA Cup could be the decisive factor over what Arteta chooses to do with the youngster for the remainder of the season.
Ethan Nwaneri
Ethan Nwaneri stole headlines in September of this year after the teenager became the youngest player ever to feature in a Premier League game at 15-years-old. And with the attacker continuing to impress at youth level for Arsenal, there’s every chance that Arteta could give the England youngster another first-team shot in the FA Cup.
Versatile and able to play numerous positions, Nwaneri could feature or even start for Arsenal against Oxford as Arteta looks to bring through another Hale End youngster into the senior team. And for the teenager, a real chance against League One opposition might be a perfect entry point into the professional game.
Emile Smith Rowe
It might seem strange to include as established a first-team player in this list as Emile Smith Rowe, but there’s a strong chance that the Arsenal youngster’s first competitive start of the season could come in this fixture against Oxford, with the winger set to return to fitness next month.
Smith Rowe has spent the majority of the season out on the injury table after undergoing surgery to resolve a groin problem. And the England international could make a big statement upon his return to action against Oxford, where the 22-year-old could run rings around the League One side.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji
Arsenal’s stream of promising strikers coming through a Hale End has been impressive in recent years, and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji is proving to be the latest attacker off the conveyor belt based on the 19-year-old’s form this season, particularly in the EFL Trophy.
Four goals against the likes of Cambridge United, Northampton Town and more recently Stevenage has seen Butler-Oyedeji’s reputation skyrocket over the past few months, and against Oxford in the FA Cup, Arteta could turn to the Arsenal teenager to lead the line alongside Eddie Nketiah against the League One side.
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