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Arsenal turn their attention away from the Premier League as they host Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round.
The Gunners cruised past Portsmouth 4-1 in their third-round opener, while the Latics beat Championship side Preston North End 1-0 last time out.
Arsenal are the FA Cup’s most decorated club but have failed to progress beyond the fourth round since lifting the trophy for a 14th time in 2020.
Their campaigns in 2020-21 and 2022-23 ended at this stage, losing to Southampton and Manchester City respectively.
Arsenal are still challenging on four fronts and are looking to bounce back after a 1-1 Premier League draw with Brentford on Thursday, a result which now leaves them just four points above Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side are heavy favourites against Wigan, who have lost five and drawn one of their six League One clashes since their FA Cup third round win over Preston.
Those results saw Wigan drop into the League One relegation places, and they will be led by interim boss Glenn Whelan after sacking Ryan Lowe earlier this week.
How to watch Arsenal vs Wigan
Arsenal v Wigan kicks off at 16:30 GMT on Sunday, February 15 at the Emirates Stadium. The game will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting from 16:00.
TalkSPORT will provide full match commentary.
Arsenal team news
With one eye on their Premier League game against Wolves in midweek, Mikel Arteta is expected to make plenty of changes and trust some of his fringe players against Wigan.
Cup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will replace David Raya in goal and there should be starts for Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Christian Norgaard, who have all played bit-part roles in the Premier League.
Marli Salmo may also be in line for his full Arsenal debut after the 16-year-old centre-back came off the bench against Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round.
Max Dowman is back in training following two months out with an ankle injury, but this game might just come too soon for the midfielder.
Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee after undergoing surgery on a fracture to his right foot, while Kai Havertz will miss the next few games with a muscle injury.
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka both returned from injury against Brentford, although the former picked up a knock and was seen limping through the mixed zone after the game.
Even if the injury is not serious, Arsenal are unlikely to take any risks with the Norway international before the game against Wolves.
William Saliba didn’t play against Brentford due to illness and will also be rested against Wigan.
Arsenal expected line-up
<(4-2-3-1) Kepa; White, Salmon, Mosquera, Calafiori; Norgaard, Lewis-Skelly; Madueke, Eze, Martinelli; Jesus
Wigan team news
Baba Adeeko and Luke Robinson have resumed training after recent hamstring and ankle injuries, but neither is expected to be fit for Wigan’s trip to North London.
Harry McHugh is a long-term absentee and hasn’t featured since August, having undergone ankle surgery earlier this campaign.
The Latics may also be without James Carragher, son of Liverpool legend Jamie, as the centre-back has missed back-to-back matches with a knock.
But club captain Jason Kerr made his return from injury following a 13-game absence in the recent 2-1 loss to Reading, and he will lead his side out at the Emirates.
Wigan expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Tickle; Fox, Aimson, Kerr; Hunt, Weir, Smith, Murray; Bettoni, Wright; Taylor
Arsenal v Wigan stats
– This is the first meeting between these two clubs since the 2014 FA Cup semi-final, when Arsenal won on penalties and Mikel Arteta scored in a shootout.
– Arsenal haven’t won at home in the FA Cup since a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in January 2021.
– Wigan have lost 10 of their 11 away games against the Gunners in all competitions – the other was a 2-1 win in April 2012 in the Premier League under Roberto Martinez.
– Wigan have conceded the opening goal in seven of their last eight games.
– But Wigan have also won their last six away matches in the FA Cup, conceding just one goal in this run.
Arsenal v Wigan predictions
The FA Cup isn’t at the top of Arsenal’s priority list and Mikel Arteta will rest a number of their star players, but they should still secure a comfortable win at the Emirates.
The hosts have great strength in depth at the back and should keep a clean sheet, and an Arsenal win to nil is available at 11/20.
The eventual scoreline depends on how ruthless the Gunners are, but we’re willing to stick our neck out and back a 4-0 win at 6/1.
Gabriel Martinelli netted a hat-trick in the third round and is pushing for more starts in the Premier League. He’s a good price at 13/10 to score anytime.
