Exclusive – Whelan tells Arsenal: ‘You’re next in Wigan’s FA Cup run’

Wigan owner Dave Whelan has fired a warning shot at Arsenal fans who think his club will be a pushover in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Gunners fans were rejoicing when the Latics stunningly beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad to set up a last-four clash at Wembley Stadium.

But Whelan told talkSPORT thinking Wigan will be easy pickings is precisely what the Blues thought today and in last year's shock FA Cup final win.

"Last year Manchester City said, 'We’re in the final and they’re glad to be playing Wigan because they thought they would win it'. Today they were glad they were playing Wigan and not Arsenal or Everton to get to the semi-finals," he told Call Collymore.

"But we come here and we’ve won 2-1. So Arsenal you can be proud and you can be confident but we will give you a game."

The Championship club are chasing promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking and are only outside the play-offs on goal difference.

  The priority for us is to get in the play-offs, win and get back in the Premier League. That is the total priority," Whelan added.

"The Fa Cup is something that we’ve got and to retain it and go and win it two years in a row is very rarely done. But we’re in the semi-finals, we’re back at Wembley, we’re all so proud and what I’m saying to our manager is, ‘you’ve done a super job’ and all the crowd today love that guy."