Arsenal fans pleasantly surprised as Gunners star included in XI for Wigan FA Cup clash
Arsenal fans pleasantly surprised as Gunners star included in XI for Wigan FA Cup clash
Arsenal fans have reacted to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s inclusion in the starting line-up for their FA Cup fourth round clash against Wigan Athletic. The two teams are set to face off at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta made eight changes to his side that drew 1-1 against Brentford in their last outing. Kepa Arrizabalaga replaces David Raya in goal. William Saliba returns to the squad and will start in a backline alongside Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, and Cristhian Mosquera.
Naturally a left-back, Hale End graduate Lewis-Skelly is surprisingly deployed in midfield and will partner Christian Norgaard and Eberechi Eze. Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus will lead the line.
Lewis-Skelly has seen his game time drastically reduced this season, with his last appearance coming against Kairat Almaty in the UEFA Champions League in January. For a number of Arsenal fans on X, the 19-year-old being handed a starting role wasn’t the surprising thing, but Arteta’s decision to deploy him in an unnatural position.
One wrote:
“MLS now is your time to show us what you can do in your preferred position.”
Another tweeted:
“MLS IN THE MIDDLE, I CANT BELIEVE MY EYESS.”
A third added:
A fan remarked:
Lewis-Skelly has made 26 appearances across competitions for Arsenal this season, but most have come as a substitute.
Arsenal looking to reach FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2020
Despite being the most successful team in the competition, the Gunners haven’t progressed beyond the fourth round of the FA Cup since they won it in 2020. They will look to end that run when they face Wigan at home.
When asked why his team haven’t gone past the fourth round since 2020, Arteta said:
“We haven't been good enough on that day, and when you come to a competition, you have to be excellent on the day, and the rest, the shirt that you wear, or the badge that you wear, is irrelevant. So we're going to have to prove that against Wigan again on Sunday.”
In the 2020-21 season, Arsenal lost 1-0 to Southampton in the fourth round. The following season, Nottingham Forest beat them 1-0 in the third round. They lost by the same scoreline to Manchester City in the fourth round in the 2022-23 campaign. The pattern continued: third-round exits to Nottingham Forest again in 2023-24 and Liverpool in 2024-25.