Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta appeared at a press conference to discuss Sunday's match against Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium.

The coach commented on the reason for not advancing past the fourth round in the FA Cup since winning the title six years ago: "We weren't good enough. In this tournament, you have to be excellent on match day, and beyond that—the shirt or shorts you wear—doesn't matter. We have to prove that again against Wigan on Sunday."

He added, "Facing Wigan? It's an opportunity for the team. Another competition and our history with them is great. We're playing at home and I'm very excited to recover and move forward again."

He continued: "We will rely on the principle of rotation, that's what we do. We try to ensure that everyone is an important part of what we do in various competitions, and it will be the same on Sunday."

Regarding the decision to substitute Eberechi Eze at halftime against Brentford: "I made the decision because of their pressing style. We needed a different type of player to create more problems for them in those areas, and I think he entered the game well, providing the team with extra speed and greater threat to reach the areas we wanted. That was the decision."

Regarding Eze's difficulty in adapting: "He had good moments, and it's never easy when you move to a new club. Things are always like this, and when you face a team that plays this way, with the ball not often on the ground, and you constantly have to stop and break the play, it becomes more difficult, especially for attacking and creative players."

Regarding his concern about the league title race: "I understand that, but it's all hypothetical. If we had lost at Newcastle, we would have been eight points behind Liverpool in October. There are many 'ifs' over the course of ten months in this competition, and you can only focus on what you have to do and try to do it in the best possible way."

Regarding the importance of the goal within the team after losing points: "This is what we must do. We will prepare and aim to win every match, and the only thing we can do is focus on that and raise the level collectively and individually to be better than the opponent every week, and this will continue until May, whether we play before or after that. These are the things we have to do, and they are the most important."

Regarding the possibility of terminating Ethan Nwaneri's loan to Marseille following Merino's injury: "It's easy to say that now. After making the decision, who could have predicted Mikel's absence for five months, as well as Kai Havertz? It's unfortunate, but in the end, we have to make decisions in the moment, understanding the context, and make the best decision for the club and for Ethan. Certainly, it was best for him to go and experience a different environment, get playing time, and prepare to return to us."

Regarding the dismissal of Roberto De Zerbi from Marseille: "I can't control that. Again, it's a decision, and it's part of the loan experience, and part of any football player's career. You will work with different coaches, and it can happen at any time, you can't control it or avoid it. Yes, Roberto was certainly one of the reasons Nwaneri joined them, but also Marseille itself, and what the club offers as an entity and environment for Ethan, and I think that will remain very positive for him."