Calafiori's Injury Sparks Arsenal's Imagination

LONDON, SUNDAY — Due to the injury of defender Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta is compelled to think creatively. The manager has actually discovered many new formulas that could be useful for the remainder of the season thanks to experiments in the match against Wigan Athletic. One of them is winger Bukayo Saka, who shone in the attacking midfielder position.

The loss of Calafiori did not feel too severe for Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium, London, on Sunday (15/2/2026) evening WIB. In addition to successfully advancing to the round of 16 with a convincing 4-0 victory over Wigan, they also discovered new ideas to address issues in their attacking line.

Calafiori had actually been announced as part of the starting lineup. However, he sustained an injury during the warm-up before the match. As a result, Arteta had to rearrange the squad composition. Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was supposed to play as a midfielder, was forced to return to the wing-back position to replace Calafiori.

One vacant position in the midfield was filled by a player from the bench, Saka. Interestingly, Arteta played Saka and Madueke together. Typically, they alternate as right-wing forwards. This time, Madueke remained in his original position, while Saka took on the role of an attacking midfielder leaning towards the right side.

Saka has only played that role twice throughout his career, the last time being in 2020. Nevertheless, the results have been very satisfying. "He is more central and closer to the goal. It is somewhat more difficult for opponents to mark him continuously. He is skilled at exploiting space and can interchange positions," praised Arteta, as quoted by the official Arsenal website.

With the presence of two wingers on the right side, Saka and Madueke were able to constantly interchange positions throughout the match. Their combination posed a significant threat to Wigan's defense. The collaboration between the two England national team players even resulted in the first and third goals for "The Gunners" in the first half.

The first goal for Arsenal was scored by Madueke, assisted by midfielder Eberechi Eze. Saka did not touch the ball, but his movement to the wing successfully created a gap in the central area. Madueke took advantage of that. In the third goal, Saka and Madueke executed a combination attack from the wing that resulted in an own goal by the opposing defender Jack Hunt.

Arteta has not used Saka in a central position again due to a lack of urgency. "The Gunners" have many great players in that position, ranging from Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, to the latest addition, Eze. The problem is that Eze and Odegaard have yet to find their best form, while Havertz is dealing with injuries.

Coincidentally, Saka is also struggling to exert a tangible influence in Arteta's new scheme. He consistently attracts the attention of opposing defenders. In the 4-2-3-1 formation, Saka often finds himself isolated in the right corner to create more space. As a result, wing-back Jurrien Timber frequently occupies a central position and enters the penalty area.

Saka's goal contribution has drastically decreased this season, having only scored seven goals across all competitions. He has even failed to score in the last 15 matches, since early December. This record is very concerning, considering that the 24-year-old player is the biggest icon of "The Gunners."

Saka can be assigned more frequently as an attacking midfielder for the remainder of the season. On the right wing, Madueke is starting to become reliable. Academy player Max Dowman has also recovered from injury. "I want to try that and we may use him again in the future. There are still many matches, competitions, and scenarios that we need to play through," said Arteta.

Meanwhile, Arsenal's two forwards, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres, were also played together for the first time. Gyokeres came on right after halftime to replace Saka. Jesus, who initially led the attack, played further back in a midfield position. Their combination looks quite promising.

Jesus usually plays as a "false 9," a forward who often drops back to assist the midfield. This often causes Arsenal to lose the presence of a striker in the penalty area. With the presence of Gyokeres, this issue has been resolved. Jesus can still create chaos in the midfield, while Gyokeres waits in the penalty area. This formula could be an option when Arsenal is in dire need of goals.

Various new combinations from Arsenal have yet to be fully proven. Their opponents were only Wigan, a team from the third division of England (League One). However, the success of this experiment demonstrates that "The Gunners" have an endless supply of solutions with a very deep squad. There is still much potential to be explored, such as the Saka-Madueke and Gyokeres-Jesus combinations.

With this result, Arsenal advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since winning the competition in 2019-20. Previously, they had been eliminated in the third and fourth rounds for four consecutive seasons. Saka and his teammates continue to maintain their hopes of winning the quadruple, or four titles at once.

Arsenal, who made eight changes to their starting lineup from the previous match, defeated Wigan in just 27 minutes. They were four goals up before the half-hour mark. "Very satisfied. We were very professional with a clear objective. A game like that can be difficult if we don't play our best," Madueke told TNT Sports.