Eberechi Eze inspires Arsenal to emphatic FA Cup victory against Wigan

It has been a testing few months for the man who scored the winner for Crystal Palace in last season’s FA Cup final. But after being hooked at half-time during the disappointing draw with Brentford on Thursday when Mikel Arteta said he is still adapting to life in north London, perhaps this competition could help breathe new life into Eberechi Eze’s Arsenal career.

As well as providing assists for Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli’s opening goals – albeit against a poor Wigan side who are languishing in League One’s relegation zone – the England midfielder’s swagger was back for the first time since he scored a hat-trick in the north London derby in November.

With doubts over captain Martin Ødegaard’s participation against Wolves on Wednesday after he wasn’t part of the matchday squad here and Kai Havertz set to miss at least four matches due to a muscle injury, it could be a timely return to form for Eze before next weekend’s rematch with Spurs.

Wigan’s interim manager, Glenn Whelan, revealed beforehand that he had been in touch with his former Republic of Ireland teammate Keith Andrews to get some tips about facing record 14-time FA winners Arsenal having watched Brentford cut their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points.

But after this thumping kept alive Arsenal’s hopes of an unprecedented quadruple, the former Stoke midfielder might be relieved that his spell as caretaker is not expected to last much longer. Gary Caldwell is tipped to leave Exeter and return to the club he helped to win the FA Cup in 2013 as a player before managing them to promotion to the Championship three years later.

Having picked up only one point from their previous seven league matches including a 6-1 hammering by Peterborough that cost Ryan Lowe his job, Wigan’s priorities are clearly elsewhere. They set up in a back five but that was abandoned when Arsenal raced into a 4-0 lead after only 27 minutes.

Eberechi Eze set up Arsenal’s first two goals in a creative display against Wigan. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Arteta was forced into a change when Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury in the warm-up. That meant Myles Lewis-Skelly was denied a rare opportunity to start in midfield and reverted to left-back as Bukayo Saka was promoted from the bench to an unfamiliar No 10 position originally earmarked for Eze.

It didn’t take for long for Wigan to be overwhelmed by Arsenal’s array of attacking ability. Eze, playing alongside Christian Nørgaard in a deeper midfield role than against Brentford, was given far too much space to pick out a perfect through ball for Madueke and his finish left goalkeeper Sam Tickle flailing.

Seven minutes later Eze repeated the trick but this time the killer pass was executed with his left foot as Martinelli was the grateful beneficiary.

The veteran Jack Hunt – who spent three seasons at Palace more than a decade ago but never made a first-team appearance – was the unfortunate culprit when Saka and Madueke combined to devastating effect down the right. Gabriel Jesus should have finished it but Hunt’s untimely header left the 35-year-old cursing his luck. He was caught out again by Nørgaard’s long pass to pick out Jesus and this time the Brazilian made no mistake. “Are you Tottenham in disguise?” the Arsenal supporters mocked.

Hunt’s miserable afternoon was completed soon after when he was withdrawn for Matt Smith – a product of Arsenal’s academy – as Whelan switched to a back four. At least they made it to half-time without conceding again, although Wigan’s mascot, Crusty the Pie, was on the end of a 3-1 penalty shootout defeat to a jubilant Gunnersaurus during the break.

Saka, who returned from a hip injury against Brentford, made way for Viktor Gyökeres for the second half as Arsenal went back on the attack. The Sweden striker struck the post from Ben White’s pass before Eze fired into the side netting after a mazy run.

Marli Salmon, a highly rated 16-year-old central defender who has already played in the Champions League, was brought on for William Saliba to make his home debut with half an hour to play and shifted across to right-back when Ben White was taken off after receiving treatment.

Martinelli now has 10 goals in the FA Cup and Champions League this season but he and Eze were both denied another by outstanding saves from Tickle as Wigan managed to limit the damage that had already been done.