Tom Canton and John Cross discuss the value of not throwing away FA Cup despite fixture pressure
07:00, 17 Feb 2026
Mikel Arteta won the FA Cup in 2020 with Arsenal during his first season in charge
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Mikel Arteta won the FA Cup in 2020 with Arsenal during his first season in charge(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Arsenal have progressed through to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2020, where they will face Mansfield Town in the next round of the competition.
Top of the Premier League table, into the last-16 of the UEFA Champions League after winning all eight games in the league phase and in the final of the Carabao Cup. Is there really room for another competition, having lost Mikel Merino to injury for the majority, if not all, of the remaining games of the season, and persistent injuries to the likes of Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori?
Well, that is what our Seeing Red Arsenal podcasters Tom Canton and John Cross discussed after their colleague, Andy Dunn, The Mirror’s Chief Football Writer, suggested the Gunners would be better off chucking the competition in. You can watch the full latest episode of the podcast here.
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“I was talking to a friend of mine who is a Burnley fan,” Canton said. “They got knocked out by Mansfield, and I was saying to him, if you're a fan, you want to win trophies. You want to win games.
“But, if I'm a Burnley executive, I'm thinking that being in the Premier League is the most important thing for that club. They're not, bluntly and with respect, they're not going to win the FA Cup. They need to be playing as few games as possible.
“Gaps between those fixtures are shortened so they've got enough rest, and the biggest chance of getting enough points to stay, and Scott Parker will be doing that. And if you're an Arsenal fan, is there any argument here that says, being in the FA Cup, when you've already reached the Carabao Cup final, you're in the last 16 of the Champions League, the Premier League is so vitally important, more than any, I think, any other season I can remember, for Arsenal to make sure that they win it. Where does the FA Cup kind of fit in for Arsenal?”
Cross replied: “Well, it's interesting, actually, because I saw my great friend and colleague, Andy Dunn, made a powerful comment for the Sunday Mirror saying that Arsenal need to, you know, throw away the FA Cup.
“‘It would be a blessing,’ he said, ‘If Arsenal were to go out because it would give people like Declan Rice a bit of a rest and an opportunity to recharge the batteries.’ Well, Declan Rice wasn't in the squad, but I do get what he means: it's more games. But I don't agree.
“I think that, basically, if you are a rival team looking on, you are jealous as hell of Arsenal's opportunity. This is an opportunity: they're in four competitions, with four very realistic chances to win, in mid-February. It's a remarkable opportunity for these players to make themselves club legends, heroes and, frankly, Arsenal gods.
“And, you know, write their name in folklore, write their name down in history and what an opportunity. And I want to see them looking as if they're ready to grasp it more than they did, for example, at Brentford.
“There was some nervousness there, there was some trepidation, and I don't agree with that. I do think that the FA Cup and the domestic cups are exactly what Arteta needs because if they don't win the title and if they don't win the Champions League, and listen, you shouldn't talk about it negatively because Arteta will be saying, 'We're going to win it.'
“But I do think they're brilliant opportunities, and it's great. Why do we remember 99 and Man United?
“Because they won the treble. Why do we, why do we remember City's successes? Because they've won multiple trophies.
“That's why you recall it. That's why it's so special.”
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We've launched a new Arsenal podcast 'Seeing Red' with chief football writer John Cross and Arsenal reporter Tom Canton.
Each week, they will dive deep into the biggest topics as they follow Mikel Arteta's side every step of the way - and will also discuss nostalgic flashbacks before each fixture.
It's a great time to be an Arsenal fan, with the Gunners flying high under Arteta as they look to win silverware this season.
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