A thrilling display of attacking football saw Arsenal cruise past Wigan Athletic with a dominant 4-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium. This result secured their place in the FA Cup's fifth round, a feat not achieved since the 2020 season.
The goals came thick and fast in the first half, with Noni Madueke opening the scoring. Gabriel Martinelli then doubled the lead, followed by an own goal from Wigan's Jack Hunt. The final goal of the half was a composed finish from Gabriel Jesus, giving Arsenal a comfortable 4-0 lead by the 30th minute.
A notable moment was the home debut of Marli Salmon, just 16 years old. He came on for William Saliba, helping to secure Arsenal's impressive 22nd clean sheet of the 2025/26 season.
The game started with an unexpected twist as Riccardo Calafiori pulled out during the warm-up. Bukayo Saka stepped up, taking on an unfamiliar midfield role. He partnered with Eberechi Eze, who played a pivotal role in the opening goal. A superb through ball found Madueke, who finished calmly past the Wigan goalkeeper, Sam Tickle.
Seven minutes later, Eze was involved again, this time providing an incisive pass to Martinelli, who slammed home his fourth goal of the season in the competition. The rain-soaked N5 witnessed a goal-fest as Arsenal made it 3-0 within 23 minutes.
Good left-sided play led to Madueke finding Saka, who crossed for an unfortunate own goal by Jack Hunt. Martinelli almost made it 4-0 immediately after the restart, but Tickle managed to smother the ball for a corner.
The front line was in full flow, and Gabriel Jesus joined the party, scoring before the half-hour mark. Christian Norgaard's perfect long ball found Jesus, who dinked the ball over the Wigan goalkeeper. This goal marked Gabi's 20th goal or assist against lower-league opposition in just 20 appearances, a remarkable achievement.
Despite the healthy lead, it was Wigan who came closest to scoring next. Joe Taylor, the Wigan striker, had a close-range shot saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga, keeping Arsenal's clean sheet intact. Raphel Rodrigues, the Wigan attacker, then went on a powerful run, but his low, hard shot was met by Kepa's gloves.
The second half saw Arsenal make a change, bringing on Viktor Gyokeres for Saka. Gyokeres almost made an instant impact, but his shot, despite a deflection, hit the woodwork.
Eze was also looking for a goal, and had two attempts. His free-kick was blocked by Jesus, and his subsequent effort went into the side netting. With 30 minutes remaining, Marli Salmon made his home debut, having already featured in the Champions League against Club Brugge and in the previous round against Portsmouth.
Martinelli had a chance to add to his tally late in the game, but his header was saved by Tickle. There was also time for another home debut, as Tommy Setford replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga, claiming a free-kick that was met with cheers from the N5 faithful.
Arsenal's next challenge is an away trip to Wolverhampton, facing Wolves on February 18th at Molineux Stadium. They then return to North London to take on Tottenham on February 22nd at 4:30 pm (UK time). The draw for the next round of the FA Cup will take place before the Macclesfield vs Brentford match on February 16th.
Can Arsenal maintain this momentum and go on a cup run? Will their attacking prowess continue to shine? These questions will be answered as the season progresses. What do you think, football fans? Are you excited for Arsenal's upcoming fixtures? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
