Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised Mansfield for giving them a “real FA Cup tie” in the second round as the Premier League leaders progressed to the quarter-finals.
Eberechi Eze came on as a substitute and fired a rocket into the top right corner from the edge of the area after Will Evans’ powerful equalizer as the Gunners beat the Bucks 2-1 at Field Mill Stadium.
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The 27-year-old’s goal ensured his side’s chance of a historic treble, something Guardiola was unable to achieve during his prime at Manchester City, and Arteta praised the League Two side’s efforts.
He said: “It was a real FA Cup game, thanks to the atmosphere at Mansfield and the fans. They made it very difficult for us.”
“You have to be more ruthless than you were today because we had four or five big, open chances that we didn’t convert.
“Obviously we made a mistake on goal as well which took away momentum and confidence in them. But overall we’re happy with the performance and we have two 16-year-olds in the starting lineup and I’m very proud of them.”
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Noni Madueke opened the scoring for the Gunners with an accurate shot after his initial shot was blocked by Liam Roberts, but a mistake from youngster Marli Salmon gave Evans a chance to score.
Mansfield played a brilliant game and at one point had more shots than Arsenal in the first half, with veteran striker Rhys Oates closing in on several occasions and finding space in the channel behind the winger.
The Spaniard did not stop to praise Nigel Clough’s side, who sit 16th in the fourth tier and ensure Arsenal have ambitions to challenge for a first FA Cup trophy since 2020.
“We very much hope that, game after game, we can start to get closer to what we can achieve,” Atter added.
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Arteta’s attention will now turn to his trip to Germany, where they face former Bundesliga champions and invincible Bayer Leverkusen in their last-16 first leg tie on Wednesday before hosting Everton next weekend.