The FA have launched a spot-fixing investigation in the aftermath of Arsenal ’s FA Cup victory over Oxford United amid a number of suspicious betting patterns.
The Gunners progressed to the fourth round of the competition with a relatively straight-forward 3-0 success over the League One side. Despite that result, the game’s governing body in England is putting the match under the spotlight.
Mirror Sport understands that an investigation is set to be launched by the FA following the match. According to the Daily Mail, the FA have a dossier of evidence regarding supposed corruption that includes phone messages before kick-off at the Kassam Stadium concerning a specific incident.
One message reportedly displayed a betting slip with around £200 staked on a specific bet at odds at 8-1. It is said that one bookmaker was forced to pay out around £1,600 following the clash.
Eyewitness reports from the Daily Mail at the game suggest that a number of Arsenal fans were seen celebrating having seemingly won their bets, with several of them going on to brag about winning significant sums.
At this stage, it is not clear how many bets were actually placed ahead of the game but the FA is taking the matter very seriously. It is not the first time that an FA Cup clash involving the Gunners has ended in controversy.
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Following a fifth-round tie against Sutton United back in 2017, the hosts’ reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw was fined £375 and banned for two months for breaching FA betting rules for eating a pie in the dugout. Ahead of the game, a bookmaker had offered odds of 8-1 that he would eat a pie on camera, only for his snack land the then 45-year-old in hot water.
It was alleged that he intentionally influenced a football betting market and despite denying the charge, it was proven after an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing. He resigned from his role at Sutton after an investigation was launched into his behaviour during the match.
Speaking at the time, he said: "We are told we are not allowed to gamble as it is full-time professional football. In no way did I put anyone in jeopardy of that - this is not the case here, this is just a bit of fun and me being hungry."
Arsenal eventually ended up beating Sutton 2-0 following goals from Theo Walcott and Lucas Perez, whilst they were also successful against Oxford United earlier this week with a 3-0 success. Eddie Nketiah was key to victory having twice got on the scoresheet.
They now tee-up a fourth-round meeting with Premier League rivals Manchester City, a game that is set to take place at the Etihad Stadium between the 27 January and 30 January.
