The winter months have proven arduous for the man who famously secured the FA Cup for Crystal Palace last season. However, following a dispiriting half-time withdrawal during Thursday’s lacklustre draw with Brentford, this storied competition appears to have provided the perfect tonic for Eberechi Eze’s tenure at Arsenal.
While the opposition was a struggling Wigan Athletic side currently entrenched in the League One relegation zone, Eze’s performance was defined by a renewed sense of “swagger” not seen since his sensational North London Derby hat-trick in November. Playing in a slightly deeper creative role, the England international orchestrated proceedings with the technical elegance that prompted Mikel Arteta to sanction his marquee arrival.
A Timely Resurgence Amidst Injury Woes
With club captain Martin Ødegaard sidelined by a knock and Kai Havertz facing a month out with a muscular strain, Eze’s return to form is a tactical blessing for Arteta. The Gunners’ attacking midfield options have looked increasingly thin, making this dominant display a vital confidence booster ahead of a relentless fixture schedule.
“That is exactly the level I demand from him,” noted Mikel Arteta. The manager admitted that the burgeoning injury list remains a significant concern: “We need players back and fit to give us different options. The quicker, the better.”
Match Statistics and Performance Data
| Category | Arsenal | Wigan Athletic |
| Final Score | 4 | 0 |
| Possession | 72% | 28% |
| Shots on Target | 12 | 1 |
| Key Player | Eberechi Eze (2 Assists) | Sam Tickle (8 Saves) |
| Early Goal Window | 4 goals in 27 mins | 0 goals |
Tactical Dominance and Early Blitz
Wigan’s interim management duo, Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow, attempted to stymie the record 14-time winners with a conservative five-man defence. Their plan was dismantled within half an hour. Eze found pockets of space with ease, threading a sublime through-ball for Noni Madueke to open the scoring. Seven minutes later, Eze turned provider again, this time carving the defence open with his left foot to set up Gabriel Martinelli.
The Latics’ afternoon went from bad to worse as a Gabriel Jesus strike and a Jack Hunt own goal took the score to 4-0 within just 27 minutes. The Arsenal faithful, buoyed by the ease of the victory, taunted the visitors with chants of “Are you Tottenham in disguise?”
Squad Rotation and Home Debuts
The second half allowed Arteta to blood the next generation. Marli Salmon, the highly-regarded 16-year-old who has already tasted Champions League action, replaced William Saliba to make a composed home debut. Meanwhile, Viktor Gyökeres and Eze both went close to adding a fifth, denied only by the woodwork and a string of impressive saves from Wigan’s Sam Tickle.
For Wigan, the focus shifts back to a desperate survival scrap in the third tier, with former player Gary Caldwell widely expected to return as permanent manager. For Arsenal, the dream of an unprecedented quadruple remains very much alive, powered by a reinvigorated Eberechi Eze.