Arsenal 4–0 Wigan — routine progress, ruthless first-half tempo
Arsenal moved into the FA Cup Round of 16 with a 4–0 dismissal of Wigan, the tie effectively settled inside 27 minutes as the Premier League side converted a flurry of early pressure into four unanswered goals.
Tactical snapshot
Mikel Arteta demanded front-foot control and got it. Arsenal’s press pinned Wigan in their own half, with Christian Nørgaard anchoring the midfield and allowing Eberechi Eze to drift into the left half-space. Understand Eze’s positioning set up the first two strikes: a square pass for Noni Madueke to finish on 11 minutes, then a clipped diagonal for Gabriel Martinelli seven minutes later. Wigan’s back five never adjusted to the rotations, and Jack Hunt’s own goal underlined the strain before Gabriel Jesus added the fourth from Nørgaard’s through-ball.
Wigan tried to condense the central lanes, but Arsenal’s 73% possession meant the visitors were chasing shadows. Once the lead was established, Arteta dropped the line of engagement and used Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyökeres after the break to manage rhythm rather than chase more goals.
Key performers
Nørgaard governed tempo with 94 passes, four tackles and the assist for Jesus, setting the platform for Arsenal’s dominance. Madueke contributed four key passes and three successful dribbles before making way on 62 minutes. Eze’s two early assists framed an impressive midfield balance, while Kepa Arrizabalaga’s two saves preserved a clean sheet in a match where he touched the ball only 27 times before yielding to academy goalkeeper Tommy Setford late on.
For Wigan, Raphael Rodrigues battled in midfield with eight duels won and their only shot on target, but he received little support. The visitors finished with just two shots and no corners, their transitions smothered before reaching the final third.
Second-half management
After the interval Arsenal shifted to containment. William Saliba was protected, exiting on 61 minutes, and Martin Zubimendi’s cameo helped maintain circulation at 90% team passing accuracy. The lack of further scoring owed more to game-state management than slackness; Arsenal still produced 12 shots inside the penalty area across the afternoon, while Wigan were limited to one.
Discipline remained tidy despite the occasional late foul, with yellow cards for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Nørgaard the only blemishes.
Statistics
- Possession: Arsenal 73% – 27% Wigan
- Total shots: Arsenal 17 (6 on target, 8 blocked) – Wigan 2 (2 on target)
- Passes completed: Arsenal 590/653 (90%) – Wigan 163/227 (72%)
- Corners: Arsenal 5 – Wigan 0
- Saves: Arsenal 2 – Wigan 2
Looking ahead
Arsenal await Monday’s draw knowing rotation will be needed for a congested week that includes league duties and, soon enough, Europe. Arteta’s side looked comfortable integrating recent arrivals, and the depth shown here should encourage him to keep spreading minutes once the next opponents are confirmed. Wigan exit the competition with limited damage but must regroup quickly before returning to their promotion push.
