FA CUP: Elneny scores to help Arsenal beat Oxford United and set up a clash with Manchester City in the next round

The third-tier team put up a valiant fight at home to the Premier League table-toppers, managing to keep Arsenal without a shot on target in the first half.

But the gulf in class and quality would be made apparent in the second half when the Gunners finally broke the deadlock through Elneny’s goal which led to the opening of the floodgates.

Arsenal were made to wait till the 55th minute for their first shot on target as Bukayo Saka beat the goalkeeper with a trademark left-footed curler but Lewis Bate was perfectly positioned for a goal-line clearance.

That chance signalled Arsenal finally coming to the game after being passive in the opening 55 minutes but they were jolted back to life through Elneny’s header, as the Egyptian midfielder connected with Fabio Vieira’s pinpoint cross just three minutes after the hour mark.

From then on, Arsenal turned on the style and Oxford capitulated, Vieira again with a lovely assist, this time to Nketiah who rounded the goalkeeper and tucked it home in the 70th minute.

Nketiah grabbed his brace and Arsenal’s third to wrap up the result with another smart finish, this time a delicate chip past the onrushing goalkeeper after being picked out beautifully by Gabriel Martinelli’s pass.

The only blight on a near-perfect second-half display for Mikel Arteta’s men would be the injury to Bukayo Saka which led to him getting substituted off and replaced by Emil Smith-Rowe and the Gunners would hope it wasn’t anything serious.

Arsenal will now face their toughest challenge yet with Manchester City awaiting them as their next FA Cup opponents in the fourth round.