Coming off of a 3-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park, Arsenal’s door to a Premier League title has indeed closed, however a first trophy since 2005 is right under their noses. Arsenal just needs to find a way to win. Wenger has come out and said that Arsenal are motivated to do well in this competition because it is the only competition left for them this season, being knocked out of any chance of a title. Arsenal have won a total of 10 FA Cups, the last one coming in 2005, against Manchester United (5-4 on penalties).
The highlights of those penalties are below for your enjoyment:
Wenger has confirmed that Lukasz Fabianski will start in goal for the Gunners ahead of first choice, Szczesny. Fabianski has been playing ahead of Szczesny in this competition and has been playing well.
Other team news shows that Aaron Ramsey could get the start due to other injuries in the midfield. Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gibbs are all 50/50 and will be last minute decisions for Arsene Wenger. Ozil could be back next Saturday for the game against Hull City and Laurent Koscielny could be back on Tuesday for the match against West Ham United. Injuries have been an on-going problem for the Gunners this season and that could be one of the bases for Arsenal’s form in recent weeks. The players seem to be tired nearing the end of the season but Wenger believes his team can come out and get a victory on Saturday. Ramsey has vowed to drive Arsenal’s resurgence this season with only a handful of games remaining and he would be the player to do it.
Wigan have the FA Cup to defend as well as fighting for the 3rd promotion spot in the Championship. They are a strong team and could pose a threat against a lackluster Arsenal team. We have had some remarkable games in this competition against Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool. Arsenal need to come out quickly and urgently against Wigan and an early goal for Arsenal could boost confidence right from the start.