Oxford United will have “millions of people who will accept us as underdogs” when they face Arsenal in the FA Cup, boss Karl Robinson has said.
The League One club will host the Premier League leaders and record 14-time third-round winners on Monday.
“We are huge underdogs, a Ligue 1 team playing the best team in the country,” said Robinson, whose side sit 15th in the third tier.
“But this is the FA Cup and we know anything can happen.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is expected to make a number of changes but the Gunners, who last won the FA Cup in 2020, are strong favorites to progress.
They are unbeaten in their last 11 league games, winning nine of them to open a five-point cushion on nearest challengers Manchester City.
Oxford boss Robinson believes his players can make it a difficult night for the Gunners at a sold-out Kassam Stadium.
“When it comes to the millions of Arsenal fans, we will not only have the support of the Oxford United fan base on Monday, we will have millions more people who will accept us as underdogs,” he said. he declares. the Oxford Mail.
“All we can promise is full commitment and passion. We can’t wait.”
Arsenal were knocked out at the first hurdle last season, losing to the then club. Nottingham Forest in the third round.
Arteta, who apologized for his team’s display after this game, is keen to make up for the early exit this time.
“It’s a competition that brings back huge memories for our football club and the team, because we won it not so long ago,” he said.
It is the first meeting between Oxford and Arsenal since the FA Cup third round in 2002-03, which Arsenal won 2-0 with Dennis Bergkamp scoring his 100th goal for the club in the match.
The Gunners, who could welcome back England striker Emile Smith Rowe following a groin injury, won the FA Cup that year.
