Arsenal fans will be shocked to learn how long it's been since Mansfield

Belief is starting to grow that Arsenal could end the season with not just one but multiple pieces of silverware. On Sunday, the Gunners demolished Wigan Athletic 4-0 in the FA Cup, all the goals coming in the opening 27 minutes, with Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus scoring.

Just over 24 hours later, the fifth round draw took place at Moss Rose, with Gooners fearing a date with Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea or Newcastle. Instead, they will make the 137 mile journey north to take on Mansfield Town at Field Mill. Having so far dumped out Portsmouth and Wigan, Mikel Arteta's team continue to be lucky in these draw.

Arsenal facing 3+ non-PL clubs in the FA Cup (1968-present)

This is only the 16th time in 58 years that Arsenal will face three non-top division teams in a single FA Cup campaign, happening only eight times since 1999. On ten of the previous 15 occasions, the Gunners gone on to reach the final, hoisting the trophy aloft in six of them, including in 2015 and 2017.

Assuming they progress, for Gooners hoping for a favourable quarter-final clash, their team has only once met four non-Premier League teams in the same FA Cup season, this happening 48 years ago. Mansfield will complete their trio of opponents this year, but how long has it been since the pair met?

When did Arsenal last face Mansfield Town?

Next month's tie in Nottinghamshire will be only the second meeting between the two. The first also came in the FA Cup back in 1929, when goals from Harry Peel and David Jack secured a 2-0 victory at Highbury. So, where does this 97-year gap rank among all 228 clubs they've met in their illustrious history?

Arsenal's longest wait for a clash with the same club

To date, there have are only 11 opponents that Arsenal have had to wait half a century or longer between encounters. The most-recent edition to this list, prior to this upcoming tie, is Brentford, who the Gunners met in the League Cup in 2018, having not faced the Bees since 1947 beforehand.

The record-holders in this regard are Lincoln City, who they did not face between 1915 and 2017, before a quarter-final FA Cup tie at the Emirates produced a 5-0 victory for Arsène Wenger's team, en route to beating Manchester City and then Chelsea at Wembley.

That may just be a good omen ahead of Arteta's trip to Field Mill next month, aiming for his fourth FA Cup triumph, after doing so twice as a player and then as head coach in 2020. As already mentioned, the Gunners won their solitary previous meeting with Mansfield 2-0, and they'd settle for a repeat in March.