PITCH BATTLE

Arteta expects his men to go through the Mill today

- BY TOM CANTON

MIKEL ARTETA says "being favourite means nothing" and has backed Arsenal to avoid being on the wrong end of another Mansfield upset in the FA Cup.

The Stags earned their fifth-round face-off with the Premier League title leaders after they knocked out Burnley at Turf Moor last month.

Arsenal have garnered a fair amount of scrutiny during the title chase but outside of North London, the footballing landscape will be pining for another cup upset.

Arteta is aware most neutrals will be backing Mansfield but he accepts that just comes with the territory.

The Arsenal boss said: "I've been long enough in this country to understand being favourites doesn't mean anything when it comes to that competition.