Arsenal's FA Cup adventure continues on Sunday as we welcome Wigan Athletic to the Emirates for the fourth round showdown at 4:30 p.m. (UK time).
Our journey in the competition was kickstarted by Gabriel Martinelli's hat-trick, which helped us eliminate Portsmouth in the third round. The last time we faced Wigan, it was in the 2014 FA Cup semi-finals, where we emerged victorious on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw, en route to claiming the trophy by beating Hull City 3-2 in the final.
Wigan, despite their struggles in League One, have found solace in their FA Cup run. They shocked Championship play-off hopefuls Preston North End in the last round, setting up a mouth-watering fourth-round tie. Wigan's last league win predated their triumph over Preston, but they've since slumped to 23rd place, leading to the sacking of manager Ryan Lowe. Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow will take interim charge of the team.
Mikel Arteta, speaking ahead of the match, expressed his excitement, stating, 'It's an opportunity for the team, again, with another competition, and the history that we have related to that competition, it's amazing. We'll play at home again. I'm really excited to recover and go again.'
Graham Barrow, meanwhile, believes that fear can be a positive motivator for players, saying, 'Fear is a positive thing for the players. It's like nerves. You read about top sportsmen, who say you need nerves otherwise you don't care about it. It has always been part of it. You have to learn to deal with it. You can't be that nervous that you're frightened...you need to use it as a motivator.'
Team news: Mikel Merino remains sidelined with a foot injury. Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard came off the bench against Brentford after missing the Sunderland match. William Saliba missed the Brentford game due to illness, and Kai Havertz sustained a knock in the recent win over the Black Cats.
Wigan, on the other hand, have reported no injuries following their 2-1 defeat to Reading. Talking tactics, Adrian Clarke, in the official matchday programme, notes that Wigan's approach is fluid, with a focus on utilizing a dynamic right-hand side. Fraser Murray, their Scottish wide man, is a key figure, producing an impressive 113 crosses in open play this season.
Wigan have been low-possession team for most of the campaign, averaging just 44.6% of the ball in League One. However, in their 1-0 win over Preston, their possession dropped to 30.5%, suggesting we might see more of the ball in this cup tie.
The Latics have technical players who can pass nicely, like Matt Smith, who won an FA Cup winner's medal with Arsenal in 2020. However, they generally prefer to sit behind the ball and look to catch teams on the break.
This is the first meeting between Wigan and Arsenal since the 2013/14 FA Cup semi-final, the only previous FA Cup encounter. We won 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with Mikel Arteta scoring. Wigan has lost 10 of their 11 away games against us in all competitions, with the other being a 2-1 win in April 2012.
Arsenal is aiming to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2019/20, when we went on to win the competition. This is only our third tie at this stage since then, with previous losses to Southampton and Man City.
Wigan has won their last six away matches in the FA Cup, conceding just one goal. They've had a run of seven away wins in the competition from January 2013 to March 2014, and another seven away wins would be just the fifth ever in FA Cup history.
All four of our goals in the FA Cup third round 4-1 win over Portsmouth came via set pieces. Despite playing just one game this season, we have the most set-piece goals in the FA Cup this season.
Match officials: Tim Robinson will referee the game, with Ian Hussin and Marc Perry as assistants. There will be no VAR, and Andrew Madley is the fourth official.
Wembley Memories: In 2014, Wigan, the defending champions, stunned Manchester City in the quarter-final, setting up a semi-final clash with Arsenal at Wembley. It was a tense affair, with Jordi Gomez scoring for Wigan, but Per Mertesacker's late header sent the game to extra time, and we eventually won 4-2 on penalties, en route to claiming our first FA Cup title in nine years.
Live Coverage: Tune in to our preview show, 'Live from N5', for special guests, games, and in-depth analysis, followed by live commentary of the match against Wigan. Find out how to watch the FA Cup clash on TV, no matter where you are in the world.
