Arsenal march smoothly past Wigan in FA Cup

Arsenal stormed into the fifth round of the FA Cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at Emirates Stadium.

Roared on by a crowd of 59,996, the Gunners settled the tie inside a devastating first half-hour, scoring four times to put the result beyond doubt before the interval.

The breakthrough arrived after just 11 minutes when Noni Madueke finished confidently to give the hosts an early lead. 

Gabriel Martinelli doubled the advantage seven minutes later, capping a slick attacking move that exposed Wigan’s defence. 

The League One side’s difficult evening worsened in the 23rd minute when a deflection off defender J. Hunt resulted in an own goal, before Gabriel Jesus added a fourth in the 27th minute to complete a ruthless opening spell.

Assists from Eberechi Eze, who set up the first two goals, and Christian Norgaard for the fourth underlined Arsenal’s attacking cohesion. 

By half-time, the contest was effectively over, with the Premier League side dominant in possession and clinical in front of goal, while Wigan struggled to gain a foothold.

The second half was a more subdued affair. Arsenal controlled proceedings but were unable to add to their tally despite several chances.

Martinelli came closest to a fifth when he met a teasing cross from Martin Zubimendi, only for Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle to produce an impressive save. 

Eze also tested Tickle late on, but the scoreline remained unchanged.

There was concern for Arsenal when Ben White was forced off with an apparent injury in the closing stages, replaced by Zubimendi. 

Manager Mikel Arteta also handed a late debut to 19-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford, who came on for Kepa Arrizabalaga in the final minutes to make his first appearance of the season.

For Wigan, the defeat marked the end of their cup run, though Tickle’s performance in goal provided a bright spot on an otherwise difficult night.

Arsenal, meanwhile, move confidently into the fifth round, having delivered a statement performance in the opening 30 minutes that ultimately decided the tie.