Wigan Athletic and Arsenal meet for the first time in over a decade on Sunday afternoon for their FA Cup fourth round tie.
The FA Cup hosted the last contest between the sides, a semi-final back in 2014 which Arsenal narrowly edged following a penalty shootout at Wembley. Wigan have descended to League One since then and could fall into the fourth tier if they don’t buck up their ideas, with their recent six-match winless run costing Ryan Lowe his job.
Interim bosses Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow are currently attempting to steady the ship for the 22nd-placed Latics, the trip to Arsenal serving as a welcome distraction from relegation fears.
The Gunners will be keen to pile further misery on what was once a regular Premier League adversary and even a much-changed Arsenal team should waltz into the fifth round. Desperate to respond to their slip-up at Brentford in the Premier League on Thursday night, Wigan could prove the perfect punching bag.
Progression will ensure that Mikel Arteta’s men are still fighting for an ambitious quadruple of trophies, with only an unlikely giant-killing ending that dream this weekend.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s guide to an intriguing FA Cup tie.
What Time Does Arsenal vs. Wigan Kick-Off?
Location: London, England
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Date: Sunday, Feb. 15
Kick-off Time: 4:30 p.m. GMT / 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
Referee: Tim Robinson
VAR: Not in use
Arsenal vs. Wigan Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Arsenal: 4 wins
Wigan: 1 win
Draws: 0
Last meeting: Wigan 1–1 (2–4p) Arsenal (Apr. 12, 2014)—FA Cup
Current Form (All Competitions, Last Five Games)
Arsenal (DWWWW) Wigan (LLLLD)
Brentford 1–1 Arsenal Wigan 1–2 Reading
Arsenal 3–0 Sunderland Peterborough 6–1 Wigan
Arsenal 1–0 Chelsea Wigan 0–1 Lincoln
Leeds 0–4 Arsenal Wycombe 2–0 Wigan
Arsenal 3–2 Kairat Doncaster 3–3 Wigan
How to Watch Arsenal vs. Wigan on TV
Country TV Channel/Live Stream
United Kingdom TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, discovery+ App
United States ESPN Select, ESPN App, fuboTV
Canada Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Plus, Sportsnet 360
Mexico Max Mexico
MORE: Full list of FA Cup broadcasters around the world
Arsenal Team News
William Saliba trying to get his point across.
William Saliba missed Thursday’s game with Brentford. | Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Arsenal will make wholesale changes from the team that drew 1–1 at Brentford on Thursday night, although Mikel Merino, Max Dowman and Kai Havertz are all unavailable for Arteta due to injuries.
Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka both returned from the bench at the Gtech Community Stadium but seem unlikely to start against Wigan, while William Saliba remains a doubt due to illness.
The likes of Kepa Arizabalaga, Ben White, Christian Nørgaard and Gabriel Jesus are among those likely to come into the Arsenal XI.
Arsenal predicted lineup
Arsenal will make sweeping changes. | FotMob
Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Wigan (4-2-3-1): Kepa; White, Mosquera, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly; Nørgaard, Rice; Madueke, Eze, Martinelli; Jesus.
Wigan Team News
Whelan and Barrow tasted defeat in their first match as caretaker bosses midweek, losing 2–1 to Reading at the Brick Community Stadium. They’re unlikely to make many alterations from their first lineup when Arsenal play hosts on Sunday.
James Carragher, son of former Liverpool defender-turned-pundit Jamie, is a major doubt for the clash having missed recent games, while Luke Robinson, Baba Adeeko and Harry McHugh are all expected to miss out.
Wigan Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal
Wigan predicted lineup
Wigan are aiming to massively upset the odds. | FotMob
Wigan predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Tickle; Aimson, Kerr, Fox; Hunt, Smith, Weir, Murray; Bettoni, Wright; Taylor.
Arsenal vs. Wigan Score Prediction
Given Wigan’s disastrous form—just four wins from their last 15 games and four straight defeats—few will give the League One side a hope ahead of the trip to Arsenal. It’s difficult to look beyond another high-scoring win in the FA Cup for the Gunners, who beat Portsmouth 4–1 in the last round.
Arsenal have sculpted a squad capable of handling three games a week and their immense depth means standards shouldn’t drop here. They have the defensive muscle, midfield quality and attacking flair to put Wigan to the sword.
Prediction: Arsenal 4–0 Wigan
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