Arsenal have the opportunity to book their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend as they face Wigan Athletic.
The Gunners are in need of a confidence boost as their Premier League title charge seems to be faltering, with a midweek draw at Brentford trimming their advantage to just four points.
Plenty of opportunities remain for them to win silverware this season, with FA Cup, Champions League and Carabao Cup campaigns all very much alive, and Mikel Arteta’s side can take another step closer to booking tickets to Wembley as they face the Latics.
Wigan are in the midst of a challenging season. They sit 22nd in League One, only one point adrift of safety, but relieved manager Ryan Lowe of his duties last week. Glenn Whelan will take to the dugout at the Emirates, then.
The Latics are on a miserable run, too, taking five losses and one draw from their last six outings. Their most recent win came in the cup, though, as they edged past north-west rivals Preston North End 1-0.
Arsenal have not faced Wigan since knocking them out in the semi-finals of this tournament in 2014, when Mikel Arteta scored from the spot in a penalty shootout.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Arsenal vs Wigan is scheduled for a 4.30pm GMT kick-off on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
The match will take place at the Emirates Stadium in north London.
Where to watch Arsenal vs Wigan
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 4pm ahead of a 4.30pm kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Matt Verri at the ground.
Arsenal vs Wigan team news
Mikel Arteta took on two new fitness headaches this week amid news of Kai Havertz’s new muscle problem and William Saliba’s illness.
Havertz is expected to remain sidelined through the end of the month, though it is not yet clear when Saliba could be back in the fold. In any case, Arteta may opt to rest him in a match he will expect to win without his first-choice starters.
Martin Odegaard seemed to take a knock to his knee in the Brentford draw, and may also be rested against Wigan.
Mikel Merino is unavailable as he continues his recovery from foot surgery, while youngster Max Dowman is out with an ankle problem.
Arsenal are expected to rotate for the match, though, with the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ben White and Eberechi Eze in line for an opportunity to impress.
Wigan, meanwhile, may be without James Carragher, son of Liverpool legend Jamie, as he has now missed back-to-back matches with a knock.
Harry McHugh is also sidelined, though Baba Adeeko and Luke Robinson are both expected to come back into the side after their lay-offs.
Arsenal vs Wigan prediction
This season’s FA Cup has seen no shortage of magic, and Arsenal should be wary of falling victim to such spells as they face Wigan.
Everybody loves a fairytale, and who would not want to see a managerless League One side knock out the Premier League title hopefuls?
Unfortunately for the football romantics, such a storyline does not seem likely to materialise. The Gunners have remarkable strength in depth, despite their various midfield injuries, and should fully expect to progress without much issue.
Arsenal to win, 3-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
This will be the first meeting between these sides since the Gunners knocked Wigan out of the FA Cup semi-final on penalties in 2014, with Mikel Arteta among those who scored in the 5-3 shootout win.
Arsenal wins: 16
Wigan wins: 3
Draws: 2
Arsenal vs Wigan match odds
Arsenal to win: 1/25
Wigan to win: 35/1
Draw: 11/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
