Arsenal secured a 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round, advancing to the fifth round despite injuries to key players. The match featured a dominant first half with four goals, but concerns arose over the squad's depth as stated by manager Mikel Arteta. Eberechi Eze impressed with two assists in the win.
Arsenal progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a convincing 4-0 win against League One side Wigan Athletic on February 15, 2026, at the Emirates Stadium. The Premier League leaders made history by becoming the first top-flight team to score four goals in the first 30 minutes of an FA Cup tie.
The scoring began in the 11th minute when Noni Madueke slotted home after a throughball from Eberechi Eze. Gabriel Martinelli doubled the lead seven minutes later, firing across goalkeeper Sam Tickle following another precise pass from Eze. Jack Hunt's own goal made it 3-0, and Gabriel Jesus completed the first-half rout in the 27th minute, lofting the ball over Tickle after collecting a pass from Christian Norgaard.
Martinelli's goal marked his 10th in European and domestic cup competitions this season, the first such tally for an Arsenal player since Ian Wright in 1994-95. Eze, enduring a tough start to 2026, ended a 15-game drought without a goal involvement and became the first Arsenal player with multiple assists in a home FA Cup match since Hector Bellerin in 2016.
However, the victory was tempered by injuries. Riccardo Calafiori withdrew during the warm-up, leading to Bukayo Saka starting and Myles Lewis-Skelly shifting to left-back. Ben White was forced off late in the second half. Arsenal were already without captain Martin Odegaard, who sustained a knock in their previous 1-1 draw with Brentford, Kai Havertz with a muscle injury, and Mikel Merino out for the season after foot surgery.
Manager Mikel Arteta expressed concern over squad depth, stating: "Yes. Before it was the strikers, then it was the defenders, now it’s the midfielders. But we are still coping with that, but we need some players back and fit." On the new injuries, he added: "Him [Calafiori] and Ben are the only doubts. We have to wait and see in the next 48 hours how things develop."
Arteta praised Eze's performance: "Some superb goals and his intentions, I think the risk that he took in the final third... That’s what I want from him." Madueke echoed this, telling TNT Sports: "He was unbelievable today. He pulled all the strings from the middle and had a hand in all the goals."
Arsenal rotated heavily, with eight changes from their last league game, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga featured. Wigan, in the League One relegation zone and without a permanent manager after sacking Ryan Lowe, made three alterations but could not compete. The result keeps Arsenal's quadruple hopes alive as they face Wolves and Tottenham in the Premier League this week.
