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Arsenal could be set for a different challenge in the FA Cup come Sunday, with Wigan Athletic announcing a change in their coaching staff before the two teams face off in the competition
Wigan Athletic have announced the sacking of Ryan Lowe as the club's head coach, just days before the League One outfit take on Arsenal in the FA Cup.
The Latics, who won the competition in 2013, are currently facing some difficulties in their league campaign, facing the real possibility of relegation to the fourth tier. It would sum up quite a slump from Wigan, who were mainstays in the Premier League from 2005 for eight years.
Since relegation in 2013, the club has bounced between the Championship and League One, suffering through difficulties off the pitch with administration and takeovers. While there has been a desire to rebuild in the third tier, Wigan now sit in the bottom four following a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Peterborough United.
A statement from the club regarding the head coach reads: "Wigan Athletic can confirm that they have parted company with Head Coach Ryan Lowe.
"In the interim, Glenn Whelan & Graham Barrow will take on First Team matters, and the Club will work quickly to identify and appoint a new Head Coach of the Football Club. The Club would like to place on record its thanks to Ryan for his efforts and wishes him all the best for the future."
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It means Whelan and Barrow are likely to take charge of Wigan's clash with Arsenal, bringing a possible new look to the side for the FA Cup clash. Whelan may be a familiar name to some fans, as he was a Premier League regular during his playing career, facing off against the Gunners 17 times on the pitch.
16 of those appearances against Arsenal came in the Premier League, where he picked up four wins, three draws, and nine defeats. However, in the FA Cup, Whelan has an incredible 100 per cent record against the Gunners, picking up one win in his one appearance against the north London club.
He will be looking to translate that into his interim management career, which will continue at the Emirates Stadium over the weekend. For Arsenal, it may be an opportunity to mix the team up, while continuing to show their ambition to win trophies this season.
Mikel Arteta is balancing a desire to win the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup with a squad that is capable of challenging on all fronts. There is a gap at the top of the division, which will breed confidence in trying to get over the line in winning the title, while the team have booked their place in the Carabao Cup final for next month.
The FA Cup is very much Arsenal's territory, though, having won the competition more times than any other club, with 14 wins to their name. The latest of those was back in 2020, which is Arteta's first trophy in management, one he will be looking to add to in the final few months of the season.
"Well, it's the best vitamins that we can put in our bodies because we're playing every three days," Arteta said on the importance of reaching a final, after booking a place at Wembley in the Carabao Cup.
"But the fact that you work so hard to achieve those moments and to have these moments together. It's just magical, because you can see the joy, the smile, the energy in the dressing room and everybody who works at the club. So, yeah, looking forward to it."
The FA Cup is the next competition Arsenal will be looking to progress in, but a much-changed Wigan team could provide a challenge if Arteta is not prepared.
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