Arsenal 4-0 Wigan Athletic: Gunners roar into FA Cup fifth round after 30-minute blitz

Arsenal made short work of Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round, putting four goals past League One opposition in a 30-minute onslaught to seal a comfortable 4-0 win on Sunday. The tie, played at the Emirates with a kickoff at 11: 30am ET, left the visitors reeling early while other ties across the round produced grit, mud and narrow margins.

Blistering start hands Arsenal control

By the 27th minute Arsenal had already wrapped up the contest, the hosts producing a ruthless display of attacking cohesion that left Wigan with little answer. The midfield was key; Eberechi Eze pulled the strings from deep and was central to the four-goal burst, supplying dangerous passes and creating space for teammates to exploit.

Noni Madueke, who got on the scoresheet, praised the collective performance and singled out Eze’s influence. "Very pleased. We were very professional and had the right intent, " Madueke said. "He was unbelievable today. He pulled all the strings from the middle and had a hand in all the goals. I'm really pleased for him. " Madueke added that scoring and helping the team win is what matters most to him: "I thank god for the goal and the win. That is my job - to try and help the team. "

The Gunners combined direct forward play with incisive passing; a neat Norgaard delivery set up one close-range finish, while fast interchanges between Martinelli, Jesus and the wide attackers repeatedly exposed the Latics’ defensive frailties. Wigan stemmed the flow after the early storm, but the damage had already been done.

Grit and conditions shape the rest of the fourth round

Elsewhere in the round there were contrasting scenes: Wolves defeated Grimsby on a pitch that had been described as very muddy, a match that required physicality and pragmatism rather than fashionable football. "A great game and quite an aggressive game of headers and volleys, " Wolves boss Rob Edwards said, reflecting on the throwback nature of the contest. "It was never going to be a day for beautiful football. We played with some realism. We showed spirit and fight. "

Sunderland edged Oxford 1-0 to move on, while Fulham salvaged an equaliser in their tie at Stoke to keep their cup hopes alive. The results underline how varied fourth-round fixtures can be: a clinical dismantling on one pitch, dogged survival and sloppy, heavy turf on others.

There were human moments amid the competition: Wigan captain Jason Kerr tossed his shirt to a young fan in the away end, prompting an emotional reaction from the child. And voices on the touchline and in the punditry boxes noted the balance of performance across 90 minutes — with praise for Wigan’s improved defending in the second half even as Arsenal’s firepower proved decisive. "Credit to Wigan in the second half as they defended better, but Arsenal just have too much firepower, " former midfielder Owen Hargreaves commented.

What this means for Arsenal and the cup picture

The emphatic win offers Arsenal momentum and selection options as they juggle competitions. Madueke suggested fans have reason to be optimistic about the remainder of the season but tempered that with a call for consistency: "I think they have every right to be. We are working hard to try and deliver the type of ought to be with our performances right now. That is our main focus and I think it is exciting - but we need to carry on doing the right things every single day. "

With the fifth round on the horizon, Arsenal will take confidence from a clean sheet and the clinical nature of the early goals, while other surviving clubs have been reminded that cup ties can be shaped as much by conditions and grit as by flair. The FA Cup weekend delivered drama in different forms — a fast, efficient performance at the Emirates, and battles fought in muddy trenches elsewhere.