Arsenal stormed into the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in six years with a commanding 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side blew away the League One strugglers with four goals inside the opening 27 minutes of the fourth-round tie at the Emirates Stadium.
Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli struck early before Jack Hunt turned the ball into his own net. Gabriel Jesus added a fourth to cap a ruthless first-half display.
The Gunners are back in the last 16 for the first time since lifting the FA Cup in 2020, still the only major trophy of Arteta’s reign. With a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League, a League Cup final against Manchester City, and a place in the Champions League last 16, Arsenal remain in contention on multiple fronts.
“We made a lot of changes because some players needed minutes. The intensity we showed, the connections between players and the threat we carried, I’m very pleased. The first half made the difference,” Arteta said.
Any hopes of an upset were extinguished quickly. Arsenal took the lead after 11 minutes when Eberechi Eze retained in the starting line-up after a difficult outing at Brentford, slid a precise pass into Madueke’s path for a clinical finish.
Eze turned provider again in the 18th minute, picking out Martinelli, who calmly slotted into the far corner. Saka’s cross then forced Hunt into an own goal before Jesus raced through to chip goalkeeper Sam Tickle.
Wigan, languishing in the League One relegation zone under interim boss Glenn Whelan, were overwhelmed by Arsenal’s relentless tempo.
Elsewhere, Leeds United edged past Birmingham City on penalties after a 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s. Leeds triumphed 4-2 in the shoot-out to book their place in the next round.
Wolverhampton Wanderers avoided an upset with a 1-0 win at Grimsby Town, courtesy of Santiago Bueno’s second-half strike.
Fulham came from behind to beat Stoke City 2-1, while Sunderland secured a 1-0 victory at Oxford United.
