Arsenal are set to host Wigan Athletic at the Emirates on Sunday, with Mikel Arteta eager to banish the fourth round curse and move forward.
Mikel Arteta made his mark as a manager with a triumphant FA Cup journey in his first six months, as they beat Chelsea in an empty Wembley Stadium. Ironically, Arsenal have never made it past the fourth round of the competition under the Spaniard, with exits in this particular stage happening in the 2020/21 and 2022/23 seasons; so they will be eager to overcome that hurdle against Wigan Athletic.
Last season, the North London outfit exited at the very first hurdle against Manchester United on penalties at the Emirates, and Arteta will want to kill the 4th round hoodoo once and for all. In their third-round clash, Arsenal put Portsmouth to the sword, as a Gabriel Martinelli hat-trick secured a 4-1 win, with all four of their goals coming through set pieces.
Ahead of their fourth round clash with Wigan Athletic, Arsenal must regain their confidence following a below-par display in their stalemate against Brentford in the league. Those two dropped points were massive in the context of the title race, but Arteta must find a way to galvanise his charges, and the FA Cup could not have come at a better time.
Wigan Athletic have had a hard journey so far in the FA Cup, as they began the competition with penalty shootout victories over Barrow and Hemel Hempstead in the earlier phases. They made a second consecutive fourth-round appearance following a stellar victory over Championship outfit Preston North End, as a Harrison Bettoni strike proved enough.
Wigan are a club that have had big moments in the FA Cup in past campaigns, which includes their triumphant run in the 2012/13 campaign, as well as shocking Manchester City in the 2017/18 season in the fourth round itself.
However, heading to North London, the Latics are not in the best vein of form with all that is going on in the background. Ryan Lowe’s dismissal has now put Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow in interim roles, while Wigan have lost five and drawn one since their victory over Preston.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Arsenal are expected to make necessary rotation to the team, with some of their current stars playing a massive load over the last few weeks. Those include Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Martin Zubimendi, as well as Leandro Trossard, with the quartet likely to be rested for this clash on Sunday.
William Saliba missed the midweek clash with illness, and given that Arsenal play again in a few days against Wolves, the Frenchman might be allowed an extended rest period. Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori could start at the heart of the defence, which could allow Arteta to rest Gabriel Magalhaes, too.
There were some concerns with Martin Odegaard as he suffered a knock in the draw with Brentford, which could see him rested as Mikel Arteta may lean towards not risking his captain. Incidentally, the manager could potentially give Bukayo Saka a start against Wigan to allow him game time and the chance to get sharp.
There will be massive rotations with Christian Norgaard, Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White all expected to start. Gabriel Jesus will be expected to lead the line, and there is a slight chance that Odegaard starts in midfield if he is fit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; White, Mosquera, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Norgaard; Saka, Eze, Martinelli; Jesus
Wigan Athletic
Wigan have a few injury concerns in the side, with the potential absence of James Carragher, the son of former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, chief among those issues. He has missed the last two games with a knock and is highly doubtful to play in North London.
Harry McHugh is also sidelined, although the Latics can potentially hope that one of Baba Adeeko and Luke Robinson can feature, with the duo returning from long lay-offs recently. Neither of those are expected to start, but the interim bosses will certainly select their strongest lineup for this trip to North London.
Wigan are likely to go with a back three with Morgan Fox, Will Aimson and Jason Kerr in that setup, while Jack Hunt and Fraser Murray will feature in the wingback roles. Jensen Weir and Matt Smith are expected to manage the midfield setup, with Harrison Bettoni and Callum Wright playing behind striker Joe Taylor.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Tickle; Fox, Aimson, Kerr; Hunt, Weir, Smith, Murray; Bettoni, Wright; Taylor
Key Stats
- Arsenal have won ten of their last 11 home matches against Wigan Athletic in all competitions.
- Arsenal have scored at least two goals in eight of their last ten home matches against Wigan in all competitions.
- Wigan Athletic are winless in their last six games since their win over Preston North End in the FA Cup.
- Wigan Athletic have failed to reach the fifth round since the 2017/18 campaign.
- All four of Arsenal’s goals in the FA Cup third round 4-1 win over Portsmouth came via set pieces (three corners, one free-kick), despite only playing this one game in 2025/26, no side has more set piece goals in the FA Cup this season than the Gunners (first round onwards).
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
Saka has been missing since the Leeds United game, where he pulled up in the warm-up to the encounter with a hip problem. There are concerns over his form this season, and they have largely been ignored because Arsenal are leading the way in every competition they are in.
However, when he came on against Brentford, the Englishman barely had any influence, and that may be the case due to a lack of match sharpness. Mikel Arteta would love to have Saka fully fit and firing in the run-in till the end of the season, and this clash with Wigan Athletic could be a great opportunity for the winger to sharpen his tools.
Prediction
Arsenal 3-0 Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic come to the Emirates in an abject state of form, having gone on a winless six-game run since their victory over Preston North End in the third round of the FA Cup. The Latics are the underdogs coming into this next game, and face a daunting test of causing an upset over Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are eager to show their fans a big response to their draw to Brentford in midweek, and Mikel Arteta will want to rebuild momentum after the deflating result. It’s rather unfortunate for Wigan to be facing them next, as Arsenal are expected to secure a big win and the passage into the fifth round.
