Arsenal blew away Wigan Athletic at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday night, scoring four times in a ruthless 17-minute spell to seal a 4-0 win and book a place in the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in six years. Mikel Arteta shuffled his pack heavily, trusted his attacking depth, and watched his side overwhelm a League One team before the contest could even settle.
Arsenal dominated the ball, pushed their full-backs high, and pinned Wigan deep. The visitors tried to sit compact, but Arsenal’s movement between the lines pulled that shape apart and turned patience into punishment.
Arteta made eight changes from the Brentford draw and still fielded serious firepower. Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli all started, and the quality gap showed immediately.
Madueke set the tone with a sharp finish after drifting inside from the right. Martinelli doubled the lead soon after, attacking space early and finishing with confidence as Wigan’s back line retreated.
The third goal summed up the pressure. Arsenal forced another turnover, chaos followed in the box, and Jack Hunt headed past his own goalkeeper while trying to cope with the delivery.
Jesus completed the damage inside the opening half hour. He controlled a direct ball calmly and lifted a delicate chip over the advancing Sam Tickle, turning dominance into a rout.
After that, the match lost its edge. Arsenal eased off, managed the tempo, and focused on control rather than spectacle, knowing the job already stood finished.
Wigan deserve credit for stopping the scoreline from getting ugly. Glenn Whelan’s side steadied themselves and even threatened once, but Kepa Arrizabalaga reacted sharply to deny Joe Hugill and protect his clean sheet.
The second half offered moments rather than momentum. Viktor Gyökeres came on at the break and rattled the post, while Eze and Martinelli both went close as Arsenal kept probing without urgency.
