Oxford United had a mixed week, losing in the FA Cup before picking up a vital three points in League One.
Elsewhere, the was an excellent result in the cup for the youth team, a new addition and further transfer rumours.
Oxford United Weekly Round-Up: Arsenal Defeat, Fleetwood Win and Transfer Updates
Regardless of the result, a night to be proud of 👏 pic.twitter.com/guBN8eTg8O
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) January 10, 2023
U’s Out of FA Cup
Oxford United bowed out of the FA Cup with defeat against Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The U’s gave a good account of themselves in the first half and headed into the interval level, keeping the Gunners at bay.
However, the visitors showed the quality they possess in the second half, scoring three goals to set up a trip to Manchester City in the fourth round.
Young U’s Progress in the Cup
Oxford United’s U18s made it through to the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup with a 3-1 win over Cardiff City.
However, it was a poor start for the young U’s as they fell behind inside just three minutes and trailed at the break. Oxford levelled after the restart before a Gatlin O’Donkor brace sent the U’s to the fifth round for the first time in the club’s history.
FA Investigating Spot-Fixing Against Oxford United Defender
U’s defender Ciaron Brown is under investigation by the FA due to an alleged spot-fixing.
The left-back was awarded a yellow card in the second half of Oxford’s FA Cup defeat against Arsenal on Monday night and the FA opened an inquiry into suspicious betting patterns surrounding the booking.
A club statement read: “Oxford United can confirm that they have been made aware of a specific allegation of irregular betting around our Emirates FA Cup game against Arsenal on Monday evening.
“The club will cooperate fully with any investigation and while this is ongoing, we are unable to make any further comment.”
Ready to work 💯
🟡🔵 #OUFC | #COYY pic.twitter.com/jWFYFvqEeb
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) January 12, 2023
Third January Signing
Oxford then made their third signing of the January transfer window with the addition of Warrington Town defender, Teddy Mfuni.
The 18-year-old centre-back, who came through the Preston North End academy, impressed U’s boss Karl Robinson during a trial before Christmas.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Robinson said: “He came in and did really well. He has a great attitude, he worked exceptionally hard and he did well in a couple of behind-closed-doors friendlies.
“He is still very raw but there are a lot of good things there for us to work with and hopefully he keeps improving and does really well for us.”
Mfuni added: “I want to thank Warrington who offered me the chance to play at a good standard and learn from being in a very competitive league.
“I came down to Oxford, loved it while I was here for a week on trial, and then when I went home I was waiting for the phone to ring for two days!
“When they called me to offer me this chance I jumped at it and am absolutely determined to give it my best shot and show what I can do.
“There are some great players here, the coaches are excellent and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Midfielder on League Two Clubs Wishlist
League Two side Gillingham are targeting Oxford midfielder James Henry, according to Darren Witcoop.
The 33-year-old has turned out 25 times this season, scoring once and providing two assists, but only 15 of those have been starts and he has completed 90 minutes on just two occasions.
The midfielder, who made the move to Oxford in 2017, has made 237 appearances for the club and penned a new deal at the start of the season.
Chelsea's three loanees at Hull City are in interesting situations:
– Harvey Vale is coming back to Chelsea (surely space for him to be around the first-team)
– Xavier Simons has three main options in January
– Nathan Baxter is recovering from surgery but staying at Hull #CFC https://t.co/7CCvfDJX36— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) January 13, 2023
U’s Target Chelsea Midfielder
Oxford United are one of several clubs looking to sign Chelsea youngster, Xavier Simons, according to the Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard.
The 19-year-old, who is currently on loan at Hull City, has attracted interest from the U’s, Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient and Salford City.
The defensive midfielder, who can also play at right-back, has managed just two competitive appearances for the Tigers this season and is eager for regular game time.
Kinsella claims that Chelsea are willing to sell Simons this month rather than see a return to the club.
Three Points in League One for Oxford United
On the pitch, Oxford bounced back with a 2-1 win on the road at Fleetwood Town.
A returning Simon Eastwood made several first-half saves but was unable to keep the hosts at bay after they netted on the stroke of halftime.
But it was another returning player that pulled the game level with Kyle Joseph netted a stunning solo goal just one minute after coming on.
They left it late, but Ciaron Brown poked home from a corner to secure all three points.
