Arsenal stormed past League One side Wigan with a ruthless display, scoring four times in the opening 17 minutes to cruise into the FA Cup fifth round with a 4-0 triumph at the Emirates.
Noni Madueke set the tone after 11 minutes, calmly finishing from Eberechi Eze’s clever no-look pass, before Gabriel Martinelli doubled the lead just seven minutes later, again orchestrated by Eze.
Jack Hunt then inadvertently headed past his own goalkeeper in the 23rd minute, and Gabriel Jesus capped the blistering start with a deft lob over Sam Tickle inside half an hour.
Despite failing to add to the tally after the first-half blitz, Arsenal’s commanding performance marked their first progression beyond the fourth round since lifting the FA Cup in 2020, keeping alive the dream of an unprecedented quadruple this season.
Mikel Arteta made eight changes from the side that drew with Brentford on Thursday but still fielded a formidable front five of Bukayo Saka, Eze, Madueke, Jesus, and Martinelli.
Eze, whose recent form had been questioned following a lacklustre spell since his November hat-trick against Tottenham, proved pivotal, assisting both opening goals with exquisite vision and timing.
Arsenal’s early dominance was relentless. Madueke, ghosting in from the right flank, finished Eze’s precise pass, while Martinelli slotted home from another Eze setup.
Moments later, Saka’s cross deflected off Jesus and saw Hunt divert into his own net. Wigan fans, already frustrated by a 6-1 defeat to Peterborough last weekend, vented their frustration, chanting at their team after the third goal.
The fourth, however, left no room for protest. Jesus latched onto a long ball from Christian Norgaard and delicately lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to complete the half-hour blitz.
Wigan, struggling in League One, navigated the rest of the first half without conceding further damage, with Joe Taylor’s strike denied by an alert Kepa Arrizabalaga.
With challenging fixtures against Wolves and Tottenham looming, Arteta made tactical substitutions at half-time, including replacing Saka with Viktor Gyökeres.
The Sweden international nearly extended the lead, hitting the post with a deflected effort, while Eze fired into the side netting shortly after. Tickle also produced a strong save to keep Martinelli from scoring again.
Wigan, to their credit, avoided a heavy embarrassment as the game’s explosive opening faded. But it was Arsenal’s night, and the Gunners will now await Monday’s fifth-round draw with all four domestic and European competitions still within reach.
