HP Terbaru 2023 – Arsenal host League One Wigan in the FA Cup

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By Graham Ruthven

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A welcome distraction

There’s no denying Arsenal have bigger things to worry about right now than the FA Cup. Indeed, this season’s Premier League title race is giving Mikel Arteta and his players enough to think about.

This is certainly true after Thursday’s 1-1 draw away to Brentford. What might have been a nine-point lead for the Gunners only a week ago has now been whittled down to a four-point advantage. The title race is far from over.

FA Cup fourth round weekend could be a welcome distraction for a team that might benefit from a favourable tie against a struggling League One opponent to loosen them up.

Wigan Athletic arrive at the Emirates Stadium on the back of four straight defeats. They sacked manager Ryan Lowe only a few days ago, placing Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow in interim charge for this weekend’s match.

It’s difficult to envisage anything other than a comfortable home win on Sunday, but the fabled magic of the cup can never be fully discounted.

Key players

Arteta is almost certain to rotate his squad for this match after a testing run of games in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.

Gabriel Jesus could be in line to start as Arsenal’s centre forward having been on the bench for three of the Gunners’ last four matches. Gabriel Martinelli is another Brazilian who could possibly come into the starting lineup.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is another fringe player who could receive significant minutes to boost his chances of earning a place in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Kepa Arrizabalaga started Arsenal’s FA Cup third round win over Portsmouth and is a solid bet to start this match in the next round, especially after playing in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

Callum Wright is Wigan’s top scorer this season and is expected to start in a position behind the Latics’ centre forward. Christian Saydee is likely to be that centre forward even with his record of just two goals in 27 league games.

Realistically, Sam Tickle will need to be in top form to keep Arsenal at bay. Considering the 23-year-old goalkeeper has conceded eight goals in his last two outings, that will be easier said than done.

Team news

Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino will miss the match against Wigan, leaving Arteta short of options in attacking midfield. Otherwise, Max Dowman is the only other senior squad member currently unavailable for the Premier League leaders.

Martin Ødegaard, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka have all recently carried knocks, but featured against Brentford on Thursday. Arteta will be able to use the trio in the FA Cup fourth round.

While Wigan’s league form is cause for concern, Whelan and Barrow have a fully fit and available squad to choose from for the trip to North London this weekend.

Prediction

The gulf in class should be pretty evident, even accounting for some heavy rotation in the home team’s line-up at the Emirates: Arsenal 3-0 Wigan.

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(Cover image from IMAGO)

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