The match at Emirates on the evening of 15/2 truly became a display of Arsenal's strength against an opponent competing in League One - a league equivalent to the English third tier.

Arsenal players celebrate a goal in their 4-0 victory over Wigan in the FA cup fourth round at Emirates stadium, London, England on 15/2/2026. Photo: *Reuters*.

Mikel Arteta's squad started proactively, taking only 11 minutes to dismantle the visitors' defense. Eberechi Eze beat a Wigan player in the center circle, then delivered a through ball that split the defense, setting Noni Madueke up for a one-on-one. The English midfielder's left-footed shot into the far corner opened the scoring, triggering resounding cheers from the Emirates stands. This was Madueke's sixth goal across all competitions this season: two in the premier league, three in the champions league, and one in the FA cup.

Eight minutes later, Eze continued to make his mark with a through ball for Gabriel Martinelli to burst past two defenders and double the lead with a left-footed diagonal shot. The English midfielder ended a three-month goal contribution drought for Arsenal with two assists. Meanwhile, Martinelli became the first Arsenal player to reach 10 goals in cup competitions and European tournaments in a single season since Ian Wright's 12 goals in the 1994-1995 season.

In the 23rd minute, the hosts' relentless pressure continued to materialize. Gabriel Jesus missed a tap-in from Bukayo Saka's left-wing cross, but the ball deflected off Jack Hunt and into the net, leaving goalkeeper Sam Tickle helpless. Four minutes later, Jesus himself got on the scoresheet, breaking the offside trap and chipping the ball over Tickle in a one-on-one situation.

Arsenal became the first premier league club to score four goals in 30 minutes of an FA cup match since the 1992-1993 season.

Gabriel Jesus celebrates the goal that sealed the victory. Photo: *Reuters*.

With a significant lead, Arsenal deliberately slowed the tempo in the second half but maintained complete control of the game. The most notable chances were Viktor Gyokeres' shot hitting the post in the 55th minute and Martinelli's close-range header disallowed in the 85th minute. Despite not scoring further, "the Gunners" still forced their opponents to defend compactly for most of the remaining time.

Towards the end of the match, coach Mikel Arteta created an emotional highlight by bringing on 19-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford for Kepa in the 87th minute, marking his first-team debut. Immediately after coming on, Setford confidently caught Wigan's free-kick and received warm applause from the stands - a dream start for the player born in 2006.

Arsenal currently holds the record for 14 FA cup titles. However, this is their first time advancing past the fourth round since the 2019-2020 season, the season in which "the Gunners" went all the way to the final and defeated Chelsea 2-1 to be crowned champions.

Hong Duy