Arsenal secured a dominant 4-0 victory over manager-less League One side Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round at the Emirates Stadium, with all four goals coming inside the first 27 minutes.
Mikel Arteta said after the match: 'We made a lot of changes and some players needed some minutes. We started the game very, very well. We had some great actions collectively and individually. The first half made the difference.' Arteta added that such matches allow players to gain experience, especially with key players injured.
The Gunners overwhelmed Wigan early on, with Noni Madueke impressed, crediting Eberechi Eze for pulling the strings. 'He was unbelievable today. Pulled all the strings from the middle and had a hand in all the goals,' Madueke told TNT Sports. Goalkeeper Sam Tickle made several fine saves to keep the score down in the second half.
Despite the early blitz, Wigan defended resolutely after the break, with Tickle denying Martinelli and Eze. Arsenal made substitutions including introducing Tommy Setford for Kepa, and Martin Zubimendi replaced Ben White, who went off with a knock.
Arsenal advance to the fifth round, while Wigan return to League One action. Callum McManaman, hero of their 2013 FA Cup final win, made a cameo appearance for the Latics.
