Wigan Athletic boss Shaun Maloney has revealed he held a phone call with Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi ahead of his side’s FA Cup clash with Arsenal.
The Latics welcomed Mikel Arteta’s team to the DW Stadium in the third round and pushed the Premier League leaders for long spells, but Arsenal eventually came through with a 2-0 win on Sunday.
Maloney has now explained that, before facing Arteta’s side, he reached out to De Zerbi to talk through Arsenal and the challenge they present. The Wigan head coach previously spent time working under the Italian at Brighton, and said that connection led to a conversation as he prepared his players for the test.
Wigan’s game plan was clear early on as they stayed compact and looked to break when chances came, forcing Arsenal to remain patient. The visitors grew into the tie and carried the greater threat, but they were kept at bay for much of the contest as Wigan defended with discipline.
Arsenal finally made the breakthrough in the second half, before adding a late second to seal the result and book their place in the next round. Despite the defeat, Maloney praised his team’s effort and the way they tried to take the game to elite opposition.
For Arsenal, the victory kept their FA Cup defence on track, while Wigan’s focus now turns back to their league campaign after an encouraging performance against top-level opponents.
