FA Cup Preview – Wigan versus Arsenal, Team News and Betting News
FA Cup Preview – Wigan versus Arsenal – All the quotes, team news, form and prediction as Arsenal take on defending champions Wigan in the FA Cup semi-final.
What the Managers say:
Uwe Rosler, Wigan Manager: “Last year I walked out with Brentford and I found out that Wembley is not a nice place when you’re not a winner. It took me a few weeks to overcome the disappointment and I want to taste success as well.”
Arsene Wenger, Arsenal Manager: “It is important to focus on Wigan who have already beaten Man City this season at Man City – as well as last year’s final – and we respect Wigan for that.”
What the former player quote:
Four time FA Cup winner, David Seaman: “I would take winning the FA Cup over finishing top four. Arsenal have been in the Champions League since it began. That has – apparently – become nothing. It’s a great achievement, but we want to win something and the FA Cup would be great. For Arsenal to win a trophy has been massive for the past eight years. The pressure has been building and everyone has been on the bandwagon of ‘You’ve not won anything.’
Former Wigan player and manager, Paul Jewell: “They must be the most difficult team in the country to try and predict the result. Again, this year they go to Manchester City and get a fabulous result and it was fully deserved. I’m sat here now and looking at the FA Cup trophy and who would have thought that Wigan would have even been in the Championship at one time? To be the FA Cup holders – it’s just a brilliant, brilliant story. You can’t predict with Wigan. Arsenal have had a few struggles since Liverpool beat them terribly and I watched the game on Sunday at Everton, they were very well beaten.
What the players are saying:
Arsenal keeper, Wojciech Szczesny: “We had a bad experience recently at Wembley in the League Cup final. But we’ve matured a lot and we’ve got a lot more experienced players. I think that the likes of Jack (Wilshere) and Aaron Ramsey and myself were only 18 or 19 at the time. We’re three years older now, we’ve got three years of experience under our belts, and we’re more prepared for it. It’s huge. We know that we’re in a very strong position to win the FA Cup this year, and we’re two games away from doing so. We’re at Wembley, so we know how important it is for the fans and all the players. I hope it’s going to be a very positive day for the club.”
Arsenal midfielder, Santi Cazorla: “We haven’t got a winning mentality and we have to believe in ourselves (more). Sometimes you can get used to not fighting, but we can’t do that. Arsenal is and will always be a historic football club, we have to look forward.”
Team News:
Arsenal will head to Wembley to face Wigan without Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere for the game with Mathieu Flamini also missing out through suspension. Wenger is sweating over the fitness of Serge Gnabry and Kieran Gibbs however Aaron Ramsey is set to return in midfield.
Wigan meanwhile will be without last year’s hero Ben Watson for the game while Chris McCann is also out.
Recent meetings and form:
Since their quarter-final win over Manchester City promotion chasing Wigan have won four, drawn three and lost just two games to move into the play off places. Their most recent game saw the club slip to a 1-0 defeat to Millwall, the club they defeated in the semi-final of the FA cup last season.
Arsenal meanwhile have slipped out of the Champions League and out of contention in the race for the Premier league title since their 4-1 win over Everton in the last round. In fact Wenger’s men have won just once since the start of March and head into the game on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Everton. The Gunners did however beat Wigan 4-1 when the two sides met last season in the Premier League, a result that condemned the Latics to relegation.
Prediction:
Despite Wigan’s heroics in the last two years, Arsenal are favourites to seal a place against the winner of Hull and Sheffield United. The Gunners desire and hunger to silence the doubters and end their quest for a trophy should be enough to dispel the challenge of Rosler’s determined side. Arsenal to win 3-1. Open a new account with Bragbet, the social betting website, to get double odds on Arsenal versus Wigan.
