Arsenal

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Wolves at Molineux (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz could return for the north London derby against Tottenham at the weekend, but will miss the Wolves game. However, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White have both trained and are expected to be available to play on Wednesday.

• Injured Mikel Merino is "very involved with us in every meeting at the moment" - but he will have some time with his family to recover then return to Arsenal before the end of the season.

• Arteta said his team's FA Cup win over Wigan was "very impressive" and leaves them in "a really strong position" in "a really good competition".

• On returning to the Premier League: "Every competition is very welcome." He added that their visit to Molineux will be "a tough test".

• Asked whether his team are wary after Wolves came close to snatching a result at the Emirates, Arteta said: "The team are in a good emotional state, really looking forward to play tomorrow. Play with that energy, that confidence and I am sure we will continue to do what we have done."

• On the title race: "All of the challenges we have faced already gives me confidence."

• On Bukayo Saka playing at number 10: "I think he does [like it] and everything that brings a challenge to him. He needs to prove something I think - it does something to him and it is positive."

• On Saka and Noni Madueke competing for a place for club and country: "They like each other so much. They are constantly together and there is certain competition within the places, but they take it from an incredible side."

• Arteta said the recurrence of injuries suffered during warm-ups is something that is being looked into: "It's very unusual. It probably happened once or twice, I think, in six years that I've been here, and now it happened four times [in one season]."

• On ensuring players are confident upon returning from injury: "Part of the rehab is to give reassurance to do the exercises and the treatment that the players need, so when they are there, they are able to do the action when the game requires it."

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Arsenal have been told by intermediaries that Spain winger Nico Williams, 23, is ready to consider a summer exit from Athletic Club. (Teamtalk), external

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The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties in the order they were drawn.

• Fulham v Southampton

• Port Vale or Bristol City v Sunderland

• Newcastle United v Manchester City

• Leeds United v Norwich City

• Mansfield Town v Arsenal

• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool

• Wrexham v Chelsea

• West Ham v Macclesfield or Brentford

The matches will be played over the weekend of 7 March.

Watch all the highlights and best video from this season's FA Cup

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus insists their full focus is on the "tough game" at Wolves despite the upcoming north London derby.

The Gunners travel to Molineux on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) before facing Tottenham away from home on Sunday (16:30).

Jesus said: "We are not thinking about the derby. We are only thinking about Wolves on Wednesday and that is a tough game away.

"We know the situation they are in but they are an amazing team, an amazing club, and we are aware they need points to get out of their situation.

"So, our focus is to go to Wolves, get the three points and that is it."

Arsenal are still hunting silverware in four different competitions and Jesus says they have to "keep believing".

"There is still a long way to go," he added.

"Obviously, we know we are alive in all the competitions. We keep believing that we have to go game by game. At the end of the season, we will see where we are."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted his sides growing injury list is a concern as the Gunners look to push for silverware in four competitions this season.

Riccardo Calafiori pulled out of the warm-up against Wigan while Ben White was brought off 10 minutes from time in the FA Cup tie, but has since confirmed on social media he did not pick up an injury.

Captain Martin Odegaard, who picked up a knock against Brentford in midweek, did not feature at all against the Latics.

Asked if he was worried his squad was getting thin, Arteta said: "Yes. Before it was the strikers, then it was the defenders and now it is the midfielders [getting injured].

"We are coping with that but we need some players back and fit, not only for numbers but different options in relation to the opponents we have, so the quicker they are back the better."

We asked for your views on Sunday's FA Cup fourth round win against Wigan Athletic.

Here are some of your comments:

Rachel: I've waited a long time to see my dream team start an Arsenal match! Loved the combination of Saka, Madueke, Eze and Martinelli. Particularly enjoyed Saka in the Martin Odegaard role. Creatively this worked and aesthetically it was a joy to behold.

Stephen: Glad we tried a new striking setup that actually puts our most creative, high-impact attackers in their best positions - especially with Madueke and Saka starting, and Eze operating at 10. It was long overdue: we've looked predictable for a while, and with set-piece goals drying up we needed a different route to goal. Yes, it's "only" Wigan - but credit to Arteta for using the game to test something new. Hopefully he goes back to it (or at least keeps the flexibility) in the next one.

Matthew: Good performance from Arsenal. They looked organised, sharp in attack and never really looked in trouble. Solid result and a good sign for the season.

Martin: Nice to get it done in half an hour and then rotate. Even the third goalkeeper Sefton got some minutes. Furthest Arsenal have got since they won it in 2020, too. All the best to Wigan as they try and survive in League One.

Kay: Felt bad for the young kids in the crowd. For some it's their first live game. If I were in their shoes I'd be gutted to see them not come out of first gear in the second half.

Big Al: We played with no pressure of 'we can't lose this game' which is how we're playing in the Prem and we showed that Saka and Noni can both play on the right. There are lots of games left so we can rotate.

Lou: We have to channel this positivity for the coming key fixtures in the Premier League and the cups for the rest of the season.

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

Image source, Getty Images

This win was as comfortable as Mikel Arteta would have hoped for before kick-off as his much-rotated side cruised through.

Bukayo Saka was able to get some minutes in midfield as he continues to build up his match fitness after recovering from a hip issue.

The 24-year-old has played in central areas for Arsenal before and appeared comfortable enough in midfield on Sunday, linking the play as the hosts dominated.

Cup competitions have been a happy place for Saka's fellow winger Gabriel Martinelli this season - and so it proved again.

The Brazil attacker has scored just once in the Premier League this term, but has now netted 10 times in 13 games in European and cup competitions.

Martinelli is also now the first player to score 10-plus goals in cup and European competitions in a single campaign for Arsenal since Ian Wright in 1994-95 (12).

The Gunners were also able to give home debuts to 16-year-old Marli Salmon in the second half as the young defender replaced William Saliba and 19-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford came on for Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Arteta used the occasion to try to give some squad members a confidence boost and much-needed minutes, including Eberechi Eze - who was substituted at half-time during Arsenal's draw with Brentford in midweek but added two quality assists against Wigan.

The win means Arsenal are still in four competitions as they look to end their six-year wait for a trophy.

Image source, Getty Images

The 2025-26 FA Cup fifth-round draw will take place on Monday, 16 February at about 18:35 GMT.

It will be done before the fourth-round tie between Macclesfield Town - the lowest-ranked team left in the competition - and Brentford, with former England internationals Joe Cole and Karen Carney conducting the draw on TNT Sports.

Supporters can also follow the draw on the BBC Sport website and app.

All matches will be played around the weekend commencing Saturday, 7 March.

Unlike in previous years, there are no replays if matches end as a draw. All ties will go to extra time, and if necessary, a penalty shootout.

What are the ball numbers?

1. Liverpool

2. Fulham

3. Sunderland

4. Southampton

5. Wrexham

6. Arsenal

7. Chelsea

8. West Ham United

9. Mansfield Town

10. Norwich City

11. Port Vale or Bristol City

12. Wolverhampton Wanderers

13. Newcastle United

14. Manchester City

15. Macclesfield or Brentford

16. Leeds United

Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in bringing AC Milan and United States forward Christian Pulisic, 27, back to the Premier League, with Tottenham also in the mix. The former Chelsea man would be available for 70m-80m euros (£61m-£70m). (Caught Offside), external

Midfielder Sandro Tonali, 25, has reaffirmed his commitment to Newcastle United following speculation linking him with Arsenal. The Italian said he raced over to manager Eddie Howe after scoring in the FA Cup against Aston Villa on Saturday because he wanted to show their relationship remains strong. (ChronicleLive), external

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Jason Mohammed is joined by Paul Robinson and Leon Osman to bring all you the action and talking points from Sunday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Grimsby Town 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Birmingham City 1-1 Leeds United

• Oxford United 0-1 Sunderland

Arsenal manager MIkel Arteta speaking to the BBC: "We started so well. We made a lot of changes because of players who needed minutes and deserve minutes as well. I'm very pleased with the way we started the game and the intensity that we showed, the connections between players and the threat we had. The first-half made a difference, obviously."

No difficulties after so many changes?: "We tried a few different things as well because of some players not being available. I'm very pleased because the players did so well."

On Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres playing together for the first time: "Very good. We had an opportunity to try different things and different connections. From here until the end of the season, I'm sure we're going to use them."

On the performance of Christian Norgaard: "He was exceptional again. I'm not surprised. The way he prepares himself, the way he trains every single day, and looks after himself and his team-mates.When this happens, you can play in any context. I'm very pleased with him."

Did you know?

• Arsenal became the first Premier League team (from 1992-93) to score four goals in the opening 30 minutes of an FA Cup game.

• The Gunners have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 2019-20 season when they won the competition, ending a run of five campaigns without reaching that stage, their longest post-WW2.

• Gabriel Martinelli is the first player to score 10+ goals in cup/European competitions in a single season for Arsenal since Ian Wright in 1994-95 (12).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Mikel Arteta makes eight changes for Arsenal's FA Cup game with Wigan.

William Saliba comes back in after illness and Kepa Arrizabalaga, who started the previous round against Portsmouth is in goal.

There's no Martin Odegaard in the squad who picked up a knock late on against Brentford.

Arsenal XI: Arrizabalaga, White, Saliba, Mosquera, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Eze, Madueke, Martinelli, Jesus

Subs: Setford, Hincapie, Gabriel, Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard, Zubimendi, Rice, Salmon

Wigan make three changes to their starting line-up after their last match which was a 2-1 defeat to Reading.

Wigan XI: Tickle, Fox, Aimson, Weir, Murray, Wright, Taylor, Rodrigues, Hunt, Moxon

Subs: Savin, Sessegnon, Costelloe, Smith, Mcmanaman, Asamoah, Bettoni, Hungbo

Image source, BBC Sport

There are five ties in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Birmingham v Leeds (12:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio WM & BBC Radio Leeds

• Grimsby v Wolves (13:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Radio Humberside & BBC Radio WM

• Oxford United v Sunderland - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3, BBC Radio Oxford & BBC Radio Newcastle

• Stoke v Fulham - BBC Radio Stoke

• Arsenal v Wigan (16:30) - BBC Radio Manchester

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Birmingham v Leeds" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Oxford United v Sunderland", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

This is the first meeting between these two clubs since the 2014 FA Cup semi-final, when Arsenal won on penalties and Mikel Arteta scored in a shootout. The Gunners went on to beat Hull City in the final.

Things have changed a lot for Wigan since then and not in a good way.

They have just sacked their manager Ryan Lowe after sliding into the League One relegation zone and it's hard to see them forcing a shootout this time, no matter how many changes Arteta makes.

Arsenal have not had much joy in the FA Cup since Arteta won it again as manager in 2019-20, a few months after taking charge.

They have not been past round four since, but they are going to make it to the last 16 this time, I'm sure of it.

In fact, they have got so much strength in depth now that, while for years Arteta has not been able to win anything at all, he could feasibly win four trophies this season.

Is the quadruple on? That could be the question we are asking in the final few months of the season.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

Piero Hincapie has been the subject of several questions sent in via our Ask about Arsenal form recently, including one contributor who asked why more people are not talking about the defender as a result of his impressive first season in English football.

I think in the fanbase, there are supporters who are still working out what type of player he is.

He is clearly favoured by Mikel Arteta, who has said how much he values Hincapie's passion and intensity, but there are still question marks about which position is his best.

He has played at both left-back and centre-back and is not first choice in either of those positions.

There is also the fact that he seems to have jumped ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order too.

Hincapie has experience of having won a league with Bayer Leverkusen, which could be a big thing as Arsenal try to do the same this campaign, but there is a long way to go.

He has shown that he can switch off at times but that does not mean he could not become an elite Premier League player - just look at Gabriel Magalhaes.

Hincapie needs a run in the team and to look really solid before there is more talk about him, but the assist he got against Brentford with a great cross is a start.

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Melissa Edwards
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Sunday's FA Cup game against Wigan Athletic at Emirates Stadium (kick-off 16:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Eberechi Eze was subbed off in the draw against Brentford on Thursday and his lack of impact has been criticised, but Arteta believes his mixed form is normal: "Well I think he had moments and it's not easy when you move to a new club, it's always like this. When you play against a team that is like this [Brentford] and the ball is a lot of times not on the floor and you have to be constantly breaking the play and do that, especially for attacking and creative players, it's more difficult."

• Arsenal moved four points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League table after the draw at Gtech Community Stadium and Arteta was asked if the change in competition is a good thing for their title hopes. He said: "We are doing that every week - every three days we are so used to it. We will reflect on the game and take the positives and improve."

• On potential squad rotation: "I'll try to make sure everyone is a big part of what we're doing in different competitions. Sunday will be the same."

• Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino are both out with long-term injuries and Arteta was asked if letting Ethan Nwaneri go on loan to Marseille was a mistake. He said: "After making a decision, who could predict that they'd be out. It's unfortunate but we have to make decisions in the moment with that context. The best decision for the club and for Ethan was to go and experience a different environment, have minutes, play and come back to us."

• Arsenal haven't got past the fourth round of the FA Cup since they won the competition in 2020 and Arteta is hoping his team will turn up on Sunday: "We haven't been good enough on the day and when you come into this competition, you have to be excellent on the day. The shirt and badge that you wear is irrelevant so we're going to have to prove that again against Wigan."

• He continued: "It's an opportunity for the team again, another competition and the history we have in this competition is amazing. I'm really excited to recover and go again."

Follow all of Friday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news