Arsenal Quadruple Hunt: Madueke Says Fans Should Be Excited

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Arsenal kept alive hopes of a 2025-26 quadruple with a commanding 4-0 FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic, led by Noni Madueke. The forward scored first in a ruthless opening spell as Arsenal became the first Premier League side to hit four goals inside 30 minutes of an FA Cup tie.

That early barrage strengthened belief around Mikel Arteta's squad, who remain in contention for four major trophies this season. Supporters are now looking towards a demanding run of fixtures, with confidence growing after another strong cup performance from several attacking players.

Madueke stressed that the rising excitement among Arsenal followers is justified after the Wigan result. Speaking to TNT Sports, Madueke said: "I think they have every right to be. We are working hard to try and deliver the level that we should be with our performances right now. That is our main focus, and I think it is exciting, but we need to carry on doing the right things every single day."

Madueke finished calmly for the opener after being released by an Eberechi Eze pass, setting the tone. Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus then added further goals, while Wigan defender Jack Hunt turned the ball into Hunt's own net, leaving Arsenal four up after just 27 minutes at Emirates Stadium.

Eze collected two assists, becoming the first Arsenal player to set up two goals in a single FA Cup match at the Emirates Stadium since Hector Bellerin managed the feat against Sunderland in January 2016. The creative display followed criticism aimed at Eze after the recent Premier League draw with Brentford.

Madueke praised Eze's response and influence across the tie. Madueke said of Eze: "He was unbelievable today. He pulled all the strings from the middle and had a hand in all the goals. I'm really pleased for him." Their link-up play underlined Arsenal's attacking depth as Arteta continues to rotate across competitions.

Madueke's goal continued a productive spell in cup football. Madueke now has two goals and three assists in Madueke's last seven FA Cup appearances. Madueke has also scored in consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since January 2025 with Chelsea, having also found the net in the Premier League draw with Brentford.

Arsenal FA Cup defeat offers lessons for Wigan

Seven of Madueke's last nine club goals have now arrived in cup competitions, underlining Madueke's influence in knockout matches. For Wigan, the heavy loss ended their FA Cup campaign but allowed attention to turn back to League One, where Wigan are involved in a relegation fight and searching for stability after Ryan Lowe's dismissal.

The club is working towards appointing a new manager in the coming days, with Graham Barrow operating as caretaker. Barrow looked to focus on the reaction after the interval against Arsenal. Speaking to TNT Sports, Barrow said: "We recovered, that was the main thing. They've got two teams really within their squad. We are disappointed with the goals we conceded, but to dig in like we did to stop that... I thought the players did excellently in the second half. They gave everything they've got. Arsenal were relentless. I am really pleased for the players as it has been a tough time. There have been positives and the players stuck together, that is the main thing. We take from this the spirit and the fact we tried something at 4-0 down, going to a back four, and it worked. I think we have enough to stay up, that is the main thing."

Barrow's adjustments, including the move to a back four, brought more control after the break and limited further damage. Wigan's staff hope the resilience shown at Emirates Stadium can support their survival aim in League One, while Arsenal shift focus back to a packed schedule across domestic and European competitions with the quadruple still possible.