Mikael Arteta vows to rotate Arsenal squad for FA Cup clash with Wigan

LONDON – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta promised to shuffle his pack for their FA Cup fourth-round tie against League One side Wigan Athletic on Feb 15, as the Premier League leaders look to bounce back from their midweek disappointment at Brentford.

The Gunners wasted an opportunity to restore their six-point lead over Manchester City atop the Premier League after they were held 1-1 at Brentford on Feb 12.

Arteta said a change of competition and a home game offered an opportunity for the team to reset while also resting tired legs, with the club still battling for trophies on four fronts.

“Yes, that’s what we’ve been doing, trying to make sure that everybody is a big part of what we are doing in different competitions. Sunday will be the same,” the Spaniard told reporters when asked about squad rotation.

“Every three days we are getting so used to playing different competitions, home or away. We know what that competition means to the club, to ourselves.”

Wigan, languishing in 22nd spot out of 24 teams in the third tier, are hoping to put up a fight against the Premier League leaders at the Emirates Stadium.

This will only be the second game for interim coaches Graham Barrow, Glenn Whelan and Matt Smith, who oversaw a 2-1 home loss to Reading in a League One game on Feb 10, after manager Ryan Lowe was sacked.

The Latics came close to upsetting the Gunners in the FA Cup semi-finals in 2014, when the then-holders held Arsene Wenger’s men to a 1-1 draw before losing on penalties.

Arsenal went on to lift the FA Cup that season and thrice more to become record 14-time winners, but they have not won it since 2020 – Arteta’s first season as manager. They have also failed to get past the fourth round in the last five years.

“We haven’t been good enough on that day and when you come to a competition, you have to be excellent on the day,” he said. “So we’re going to have to prove that against Wigan again on Sunday.”

He said his decision to substitute Eberechi Eze at half-time during the Brentford match was a tactical call, but he defended his £68 million (S$117 million) signing who has yet to nail down a starting spot.

“I think he had moments and it’s not easy when you move to a new club, it’s always like this,” Arteta said.

“When you play against a team that is like this 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.”

Arteta is set to face former Juventus boss Igor Tudor in the opposite dugout during the north London league derby on Feb 22 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham confirmed on Feb 14 that the former Croatia international will be their interim manager until the end of the season.

They fired Thomas Frank with the club 16th in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone, and out of both domestic Cup competitions.

Tudor, who has managed several clubs across Europe, including Galatasaray and Marseille, last led Serie A side Juventus. He said there is “strong quality” in the Spurs squad, adding: “My job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly.”

Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a return to Spurs, but the 53-year-old Argentinian is available only after the June 11-July 19 World Cup as he is contracted with the United States.

Tudor, 47, guided Juventus to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last season, but the Croat was dismissed in October – seven months after his appointment – following an eight-match winless run across all competitions.

He espouses an aggressive style of play built on pressing high up the pitch, with his teams also relying on quick transitions.

Apart from climbing up the standings, Tudor will also be charged with their progress in the Champions League where Spurs have qualified for the last 16.
REUTERS