Arsenal on Sunday powered into the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in six years as the quadruple chasers crushed Wigan Athletic 4-0.
Mikel Arteta’s side routed the third-tier strugglers with four goals in the first 27 minutes of the fourth-round tie at the Emirates Stadium.
Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli netted, before Jack Hunt’s own-goal was followed by a Gabriel Jesus strike.
Photo: Reuters
The Gunners are back in the last 16 for the first time since they won the FA Cup in 2019-2020, a success that remains the only major trophy of Arteta’s reign.
Holding a four-point lead at the top of the English Premier League, through to the EFL Cup final against Manchester City and into the UEFA Champions League last 16, Arsenal could end their silverware drought with a remarkable quadruple this season.
“We made a lot of changes because of players who needed minutes. The intensity that we showed, the connections between players and the threat we had, I’m very pleased. The first half made a difference, obviously,” Arteta said.
Arsenal’s latest FA Cup clash with Wigan lacked the drama of their previous one in 2013-2014 — a semi-final win featuring a penalty shoot-out goal from then-Gunners captain Arteta.
Wigan have fallen on hard times since, arriving in north London stuck in the League One relegation zone and led by interim head coach Glenn Whelan after Ryan Lowe’s sacking.
Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori was injured in the pre-match warm-up, forcing Arteta to bring Bukayo Saka back into the lineup instead of resting the England winger.
Despite the late reshuffle, it took just 11 minutes for Arsenal to go in front.
Arteta gave Eberechi Eze another start despite hauling the England midfielder off at halftime after his latest disappointing display in Thursday last week’s 1-1 draw at Brentford.
Eze repaid Arteta’s faith, cleverly turning into space for a superb pass to Madueke, who raced into the Wigan penalty area and finished with aplomb.
Eze, signed from Crystal Palace last year, provided another assist in the 18th minute.
He guided a pin-point pass to Martinelli and the Brazilian stroked a cool finish into the far corner.
Arsenal’s third goal arrived in the 23rd minute when Wigan defender Hunt headed Saka’s cross into his own net.
Arteta’s men showed no mercy as Christian Norgaard’s pass sent Jesus clean through for a delicate chip over Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle in the 27th minute.
Arsenal resume their push for a first English title since 2003-2004 at bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday.
Leeds United survived a penalty shoot-out to edge past second-tier Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.
Birmingham substitute Patrick Roberts snatched an 89th-minute equalizer to cancel out Lukas Nmecha’s 49th-minute opener for Leeds.
With a feisty fourth-round tie level at 1-1 after extra-time, Leeds won the shoot-out 4-2.
Joel Piroe, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson and Sean Longstaff all converted their penalties for Daniel Farke’s team.
Battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, Leeds are a win away from reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002-2003.
Wolves also avoided an upset as they won 1-0 at fourth-division Grimsby Town.
Grimsby stunned Manchester United in the EFL Cup earlier this season, but Wolves avoided similar embarrassment thanks to Santiago Bueno’s 60th-minute goal from the visitors’ first shot on target on a mud-caked pitch at Blundell Park.
It was Wolves’ first away win since beating Manchester United in April last year.
Fulham came from behind to win 2-1 at Stoke City, while Sunderland won 1-0 at Oxford United.
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