Arsenal wrapped up the match within half an hour.
With an overwhelming display of early supremacy, Arsenal comfortably progressed to the FA Cup’s round of 16, securing a 4-0 triumph over Wigan Athletic and setting a new record in the process.
A setback occurred for the London club during the warm-up when Riccardo Calafiori, the left-back, was sidelined. This compelled Mikel Arteta to make an alteration, with Bukayo Saka entering the lineup and Myles Lewis-Skelly reverting from midfield to his customary role.
Despite that early obstacle, it never appeared to hinder Arsenal from securing an emphatic triumph against the beleaguered League One team. The North London club made history by becoming the inaugural Premier League side to net four times within the initial 30 minutes of an FA Cup fixture, decisively defeating the Latics and thus sustaining their quest for a quartet of titles.
Noni Madueke broke the deadlock in the eleventh minute, with Gabriel Martinelli extending their advantage just seven minutes thereafter.
An unfortunate deflection by Jack Hunt extinguished any prospect of a revival for Wigan, and the score became 4-0 in the 27th minute following Gabriel Jesus’s assured strike.
Arsenal failed to extend their advantage further, and a new fitness worry emerged in their backline when Ben White left the field prematurely in the latter stages of the second half. Nevertheless, with two additional Premier League fixtures looming in the upcoming week – against Wolves and their North London adversaries Tottenham – the team was quite thankful for this straightforward triumph achieved by their altered lineup.