The Magic of the Cup is alive and kicking. The FA Cup Fifth Round draw has delivered a classic "banana skin" tie for Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Gunners.

Arsenal, currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League, will travel to Field Mill to face League One outfit Mansfield Town. On paper, it is a mismatch of epic proportions. But as any seasoned football fan knows, a wet, windy night in Nottinghamshire levels the playing field faster than any tactical masterclass.

The Giant Killers

Mansfield are not to be underestimated. They earned this glamour tie by producing the shock of the Fourth Round—a gritty 2-1 comeback victory over Premier League side Burnley at Turf Moor. They are a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

For the thousands of Arsenal fans in Kenya, the fixture (scheduled for the weekend of March 7-8, 2026) will be a nervous watch. The memory of past cup upsets still lingers, and Arteta will likely rotate his squad to keep legs fresh for the title charge.

Heavyweight Clash: Newcastle vs. City

Elsewhere in the draw, the headline act is undeniably at St. James' Park.Newcastle United will host Manchester City in a clash of the titans. Pep Guardiola’s men, still chasing another treble, face their toughest test yet. Having already dumped the Magpies out of the League Cup, City will be looking for a psychological double.

It is a draw that guarantees drama. Whether you are rooting for the underdog Stags of Mansfield or the oil-rich juggernauts of the North, the road to Wembley just got a lot more interesting.