Arsenal, nicknamed "The Gunners," defeated Wigan Athletic, a League One side, 4-0 in the fourth round of the 2025/26 FA Cup, with goals from Maduk, Martinelli, and Jesus. After the match, Arteta expressed his satisfaction with the players' cohesion and fighting spirit.

In the 11th minute, Eze played a through ball to Maduk, who, facing the defense, slotted the ball into the empty net to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead. In the 18th minute, Eze again provided a through ball, and Martinelli received the ball, entered the penalty area, and fired a low shot into the net, extending Arsenal's lead over Wigan Athletic to 2-0.

In the 23rd minute, Saka passed the ball back from the penalty area, Jesus attempted a sliding shot, and Wigan Athletic defender Jack Hunt inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net, extending Arsenal's lead to 3-0. In the 27th minute, Nelgaard played a long pass from near the center circle, Jesus met the ball and chipped it into the net from the penalty area, securing a 4-0 victory for Arsenal.

Arsenal ultimately defeated Wigan Athletic 4-0, successfully advancing to the round of 16.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in an interview, "It's been fantastic. From the start, the team was running smoothly, the players were very focused and sharp, and we definitely posed a huge threat to our opponents. I'm very happy to advance to the next round, which is exactly what we were aiming for. Especially considering we made several changes to the starting lineup, the team showed real fighting spirit. That's crucial in this type of cup competition."

"Then there's team cohesion. After making so many adjustments, the understanding won't be there right away. But I think the team played with intensity, always maintained an attacking intent, and constantly threatened the opponent. We scored a few brilliant goals in the first half, which became the key to the game."

In addition, 16-year-old Mali Salmon and 19-year-old goalkeeper Setford made their Arsenal home debuts from the bench. Arteta commented, "They deserve this opportunity; they are part of our team. They train with us every day and need to experience moments like this. We want everyone to be involved, and they must feel they have the opportunity to play."

In addition, Arsenal will play their 31st round Premier League match first, traveling to Molineux Stadium to challenge Wolves.

Arteta added, "Everyone can celebrate, but starting tomorrow we need to prepare for the game against Wolves. We know it will be a very tough Premier League match, so we must keep moving forward."

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