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

After half an hour of Arsenal running riot, the temptation was to start looking at record scorelines.

The Gunners were four goals up against Wigan in the FA Cup and the side sitting 22nd in League One were in danger of being really embarrassed.

As it turned out, 4-0 is where it would stay. The damage was done in the early stages, goals from Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, with Jack Hunt also turning into his own net.

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

Even with Mikel Arteta and his players still going strong on three other fronts, they will have their eyes on progressing much further than that.

At times earlier this season, it felt like no Arsenal players would reach double figures for goals.

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

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

Part of that, of course is down to the opposition. Martinelli now has four goals in the FA Cup across fixtures against Portsmouth and Wigan.

It is also down to the tactics of teams away from the Premier League. In the Champions League in particular, Martinelli has faced plenty of defences willing to play high and try and take the game to Arsenal.

The Brazilian is lightning fast and relishes space in behind, as he had for his goal here from Eze’s through ball. His finishing in Europe and in the cups has been far more ruthless.

Finding a way to be just as prolific in the league, when space is at a premium and defences camped, is Martinelli’s next challenge.

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

Eze needed a statement performance and, against very limited opposition, he got the confidence flowing again.

The 27-year-old opened Wigan up for the first goal, jinking into space and then playing a sublime pass through to Madueke. Eze then assisted the second too, releasing Martinelli to produce a calm finish.

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

Injuries to Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard mean there is every chance Eze starts as the No10 against Wolves on Wednesday night.

He will not find that as easy as he found facing Wigan, but a strong showing against the Latics should ensure he goes into that in far more confident mood.

Arteta is not one for taking anything lightly, so perhaps we should not have been surprised that it was Saka he turned to when Riccardo Calafiori had to be replaced in the starting lineup at the last minute.

Saka had been due to be among the substitutes but he emerged to lead the Arsenal side 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 the right No8.

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

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

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

Arteta is unlikely to use Saka in that role, particularly with Eze, Madueke and Martinelli in the team too, against better sides.

It was, though, an indication that Arteta is considering all options in a bid to get Arsenal really clicking into gear in attack.