Wilshere fires young Gunners

League Cup nights for Arsenal should be re-branded The Jack Wilshere Show. A new teen flick. Fabio Capello was here to watch the latest instalment in what may well turn into a blockbuster series with Wilshere, the up-right, highly-talented 16-year-old, the eye-catching presence in Arsène Wenger's team of ridiculously young tyros.

Maybe Capello might consider giving England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce a call this morning, just to inquire whether he maybe should have squeezed Wilshere into the squad he announced yesterday. Ridiculous? Perhaps. But not as ridiculous as watching a 16-year-old kid aided, in particular, by the impressive Carlos Vela, the scorer of another wonder goal, and Aaron Ramsey bamboozle and humiliate seasoned Premier League opponents to progress into the quarter-finals.

Such was the dominance that the Wigan Athletic manager Steve Bruce could do little but fess up. "We were frightened on the night by their ability," he admitted while claiming his team should have been awarded a first-half penalty for handball which may have made proceedings more interesting. "They created more chances against us than any other team this season," Bruce added. "We've had our backsides kicked." Such is the precocity of youth.

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It should not be forgotten that, despite Wilshere's display, two goals were scored by Jay Simpson, who also struck the crossbar. He was one of seven English players in the Arsenal squad. And to think Wigan's best player was goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, who was probably the man Capello was here to watch. Without Kirkland, who battled through despite picking up an injury, the humiliation would have been greater. With him it was bad enough.

"I enjoyed every minute because it was a big test for such a young team," Wenger said afterwards. "It was a remarkable combination of desire, energy and quality. We had a relentless go at Wigan tonight and in the end it was a fantastic win. These boys surprise everyone with their mixture of commitment and calm as well. They always play very good football. What they do is quality."

Indeed it is. And no-one has it in greater abundance than Wilshere who, predominantly left-footed, played on the right to cut inside, beat an opponent and, time and again, open up the Wigan defence. "He takes the ball no matter where or who he plays against," said Wenger who likened Wilshere's precocity to that of Cesc Fabregas at the same age and almost purred at the prospect of pairing the two in his first-team.

Where to start? The chances simply stacked up. Kirkland got a glove to the ball as Vela threatened to round him, and denied the Mexican again before Wilshere teed up Simpson and the goalkeeper denied Kieran Gibbs. He beat out Vela's curling shot from the area's edge, after a smart swivel, having already pushed away Ramsey's right-footed free-kick which almost deceived him.

Wigan threatened fleetingly before Wilshere, sublimely, collected the ball in the centre-circle, turned and dissected the Wigan defence with a low pass, perfectly weighted to exploit Mario Melchiot's hesitancy and send Simpson in to poke the ball through Kirkland's legs and into the net. Quicksilver and deadly. Arsenal shifted through the gears and Fran Merida tested Kirkland before Ramsey's slick movement of feet created space for him to flick a pass inside the Wigan defence. Kirkland, once more, beat out Gibbs' first-time drive as he ran on.

Another goal was inevitable and it came as Wigan attacked. A corner was cleared to Ramsey who, quickly, set Vela away. Emmerson Boyce, not for the first time, should have cleared but Vela was, not for the first time, far too quick and sped to the by-line before calmly pulling the ball back to Simpson who side-footed crisply beyond Kirkland.

Vela found his reward. Wenger had said the 19-year-old always scores and he did so with the pick of the strikes by running on to Johan Djourou's fine through-pass and, as Boyce tried to cover, brilliantly chipping a stranded Kirkland with the finest of touches. Lukasz Fabianski denied Wigan a consolation, superbly turning Zaki's volley on to the bar after he had saved from Daniel de Ridder to cap a mesmerising display.

* Arsène Wenger said last night that he hoped midfielder Tomas Rosicky would return to action in "six to eight weeks" after the Czech international underwent surgery in Germany on Monday to remove scar tissue from the knee injury which has sidelined him since January.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Fabianski; Hoyte, Djourou, Song, Gibbs; Merida, Ramsey, Randall, Wilshere (Bischoff, 77); Simpson (Lansbury, 77), Vela (Fonte, 84). Substitutes not used:Mannone (gk), Coquelin, Ogogu, Frimpong.

Wigan Athletic (4-5-1): Kirkland; Melchiot, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa; De Ridder, Valencia, Cattermole (Brown, 68), Palacios, Koumas (Camara, 58); Zaki. Substitutes not used: Kingson (gk), Taylor, Scharner, Kilbane, Cywka

Referee: S Tanner (Somerset).

13

The number of teenagers in the Arsenal starting XI and on the bench against Wigan.