Matt Smith returns to Emirates Stadium this weekend with Wigan Athletic, six years after being on the bench for Arsenal's 2020 FA Cup final victory. The 25-year-old midfielder received a winners' medal despite never making a competitive first-team appearance for the Gunners. Smith will face his former club in the FA Cup fourth round, with Wigan holding all 5,000 tickets for Sunday's match.

Smith's journey to the 2020 bench came amid uncertainty around Mesut Özil's exclusion from Mikel Arteta's squad. The boyhood Arsenal fan trained with the first team as a 17-year-old and recalls Arteta's unique approach to team meetings, including games of Pictionary to study opposition tactics. Despite his potential, Smith's Arsenal career ended with loan spells at Swindon, Charlton, and Doncaster.

When leaving Arsenal in 2023, Smith received a signed shirt and an armband from current captain Martin Ødegaard. His parents, unable to attend Wembley due to COVID restrictions, will finally see him play at Emirates Stadium. "It's only a matter of time before Arsenal start winning trophies regularly," predicts Smith, who keeps his FA Cup medal at his parents' house and plans to reflect on it after retirement.