- Elneny ended Oxford's resistance with a goal in the 64th minute
- It was Elneny's first goal for the Gunners in this campaign
- Confident win against Oxford will boost Arsenal in the derby
WHAT HAPPENED? The 30-year-old Egypt international was handed a start by manager Mikel Arteta in the third-round fixture at Kassam Stadium and he broke the deadlock in the 64th minute after heading home a free-kick from Fabio Vieira to end Oxford's resistance.
Two more goals from Ghana prospect Eddie Nketiah ensured Arsenal ran away as winners to set up a clash against Manchester City in the next stage.
However, what caught the attention of Elneny after the game was the upcoming Premier League fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester United. Elneny is confident the victory against Oxford will build confidence heading into the weekend’s North London derby.
WHAT DID HE SAY? “We knew that today [Monday] was very important for us to win because we have a derby in the next game, and we go there with the confidence to win away from home and we’re into the next round," Elneny said as quoted by Arsenal website.
“We know it’s a special game for all of us in the derby, and we go there full of confidence and we’ll go for three points.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game today because for [Oxford] it is one game of the season and it is something big for them. That’s why they gave everything in the game, and we had to manage this and come here to win to go through to the next round.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: This was Elneny's first goal for Arsenal this season. He has managed five appearances for the Gunners in the Premier League, starting just once across 17 fixtures and being used as a substitute on four occasions.
Last season, the Pharaoh made 14 league appearances for Arsenal and created two assists.
WHAT NEXT FOR ELNENY? With Arsenal seeking to stretch their lead at the top of the table, Elneny will hope to keep the starting role as they come up against Spurs on Sunday.
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