Three things we learned from Arsenal win as Mikel Arteta tries Bukayo Saka experiment

After half an hour of rioting at Arsenal, the temptation was to start looking at record scores.

The Gunners were four goals ahead of Wigan in the FA Cup and the 22nd-placed team in League One were in danger of a real embarrassment.

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It turned out that the result would be 4-0. The damage was done early on, with goals from Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, with Jack Hunt also converting into his own net.

It is the first time since 2020, when Arsenal won the FA Cup, that they have reached the fifth round of the competition.

Even though Mikel Arteta and his players are still going strong on three other fronts, they will aim to progress much further than that.

Martinelli the cutting specialist

At times earlier this season it looked like no Arsenal player would reach double the number of goals.

Martinelli, however, now has ten in cups and the Champions League alone. He is the first to do this for Arsenal since Ian Wright in the 1994-95 season.

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The difference in Martinelli’s production between competitions is striking. In the Premier League, he has scored once in 20 appearances. In all other competitions, it’s now 10 in 13 games.

Of course, part of this is the opposition. Martinelli now has four FA Cup goals in matches against Portsmouth and Wigan.

It also depends on the tactics of teams outside the Premier League. In the Champions League in particular, Martinelli faced many defenses ready to play high and try to win the match against Arsenal.

The Brazilian is lightning quick and appreciates the space in behind, as he did for his goal here from a through ball from Eze. His finish in Europe and in cups was much more ruthless.

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Finding a way to be just as prolific in the league, when space is limited and defenses camp, is Martinelli’s next challenge.

Eze gets back on track

The £60 million summer signing came into this game having been hooked at half-time on Thursday night and without a goal or assist in his last 15 matches.

Eze needed a standout performance and, against very limited opposition, he found his confidence.

The 27-year-old opened up Wigan for the first goal, racing into space then completing a sublime pass to Madueke. Eze then also assisted the second, releasing Martinelli to produce a calm finish.

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With Wigan offering no sort of pressure or resistance, Eze had the freedom to float as he wished. He was noticeably deep at certain points, taking the ball away from defenders and progressing it forward.

Injuries to Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard mean there is every chance Eze will start as the No.10 against Wolves on Wednesday night.

He won’t find it as easy as against Wigan, but a strong performance against the Latics should ensure he goes into this with a lot more confidence.

Saka experience after late reshuffle

Arteta is not one to take anything lightly, so perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised that it was Saka he turned to when Riccardo Calafiori had to be replaced in the starting line-up at the last minute.

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Saka was expected to be among the substitutes, but he appeared to lead the Arsenal team out of the tunnel.

Interestingly, Saka lined up in midfield rather than on the wing, with Arteta using the match as an opportunity to experiment with the 24-year-old as a right number 8.

Saka has played in midfield before, starting there against Brighton in 2020, but this was a rare opportunity to see him more centrally.

Sometimes on the right wing in this system he can be stuck on the touchline. Here he was able to combine more naturally and there were some lovely moments with Eze and Madueke.

His presence alone in the center of the pitch also caught the attention of the Wigan players and left Madueke one-on-one and in plenty of space on the touchline.

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Arteta is unlikely to use Saka in this role, especially with Eze, Madueke and Martinelli also in the squad, against better teams.

It was, however, an indication that Arteta is considering all options in a bid to ensure Arsenal really step up a gear in attack.