Former Premier League player and manager, Alan Pardew, has praised Mikel Arteta for keeping Arsenal focused on all four fronts after their 4-0 win against Wigan in the FA Cup.
However, he still did not change his mind about his prediction that Arsenal cannot beat Liverpool to win the Champions League.
After a tough 1-1 draw with Brentford in the league on Thursday night, the Gunners came back strongly and beat Wigan to make sure they stay in the FA Cup fifth round.
After being taken off at halftime at Brentford, Eberechi Eze came back strongly and helped both Madueke and Martinelli score at the Emirates.
Just 23 minutes into the game, Jack Hunt accidentally headed the ball into his own net.
Gabriel Jesus calmly scored to put the home team way ahead around the 30-minute mark, and Arteta’s team kept their lead secure, just like in the 2014 FA Cup semi-final between the two sides.
Injuries to Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White, along with doubts about the fitness of club captain Martin Odegaard, reduced the shine from what was otherwise a flawless performance by the Premier League leaders.
Arteta’s team will find out who they are facing in the fifth round of this year’s competition on Monday night, just before Macclesfield’s match against Brentford in the fourth round.
Arsenal’s four-goal win means they are still in the running for success in all four competitions this season. They are leading the Premier League, and they are still in the Carabao Cup, Champions League, and FA Cup.
Arsenal had an amazing performance, winning all eight of their games and moving through the Champions League group stage smoothly.
After winning first place, the Gunners will face one of Borussia Dortmund, Olympiakos, Atalanta, or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
When asked about Arsenal’s chances of winning Europe’s top competition, former Crystal Palace and Newcastle manager Pardew told talkSPORT, “I’m still going to support my belief that Liverpool will win the Champions League, which I mentioned on this show a few weeks ago.
“That’s because, and here’s why, there are too many top players in that Liverpool team who really want to win the Champions League. It helps their resume and makes contract talks easier, so Liverpool are fully committed to the Champions League.”
Liverpool easily moved on to the Champions League knockout stage after winning seven and losing only one of their eight group matches.
The impressive run made sure the Merseyside giants are placed higher and will play against one of Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, or Juventus in the next round.
“I think Liverpool are a really good team, there’s no question about that,” Pardew went on about Arne Slot’s team.