Roberto Martinez's FA Cup winners failed to carry forward their Wembley momentum and slip out of the Premier League as their eight-year top-flight stay ends with a whimper
Just three days after lifting the
FA Cup, Wigan were relegated as
a 4-1 defeat by Arsenal at
Emirates Stadium ended their
eight-year stay in the Premier
League and saw the Gunners climb back into fourth place. Hopes of another great escape
from the Latics were briefly
raised as Shaun Maloney's free-
kick cancelled out Lukas Podolski's
opener, but the shoddy
defending which has blighted their season returned as Theo
Walcott, Podolski and Aaron
Ramsey sealed their fate in a
devastating eight-minute spell. Santi Cazorla had already flashed
a header narrowly wide when
Roberto Martinez's men switched
off horribly at the back from the
Spaniard's corner, allowing the
ball to bounce on the edge of their six-yard box for the
unmarked Podolski to stoop and
nod home. It took until the 25th minute for
the visitors to mount a
meaningful attack with Laurent
Koscielny showing superb
alertness and athleticism to clear
Jordi Gomez's ball into the box with Arouna Kone looking set to
beat Wojciech Szczesny to the
ball. Arsenal were inches away from
doubling their lead as the interval
approached with Wigan failing to
learn the lessons of the opening
goal as another Cazorla corner
was again left by Per Mertesacker at the near post
only for Koscielny to stab wide. The Gunners will feel Wigan were
given a helping hand for their
equaliser as Maloney went to
ground under minimal contact
from Mikel Arteta, but there was
no questioning the quality of the forward's finish as he curled a
superb free-kick over the wall
and beyond Szczesny's despairing
dive. Szczesny was then called upon to
produce an excellent save in the
opening moments of the second
half, racing from his line to
spread himself and deny Kone's
shot from a tight angle after a neat one-two, before James
McCarthy had the ball in the net
only to be given offside. Play switched immediately to the
other end and Joel produced a
dramatic double-save to keep
out Cazorla following good work
by Walcott down the flank, with
Tomas Rosicky dragging his follow-up effort across the goal
and wide. Wigan suffered a blow when the
excellent Callum McManaman was
forced out of the action in the
57th minute through injury, with
Emmerson Boyce glancing a
header wide and then Joel standing up well to a Walcott
shot as the drama continued. But the Latics goalkeeper was
powerless to prevent Arsenal
from regaining the lead through
Walcott in the 63rd minute as
Cazorla was given far too much
time and space out on the right flank to deliver a precision low
cross for the England
international to convert from
close range. And the game was up for the
Latics just five minutes later as
Cazorla's header through found
Paul Scharner playing Podolski
onside, allowing the Germany
international to lift his shot beyond Joel to leave Wigan's
players flat on their backs and
the visiting fans with heads in
hands. Ramsey ensured Arsene Wenger's
men go into their final game of
the season at Newcastle on
Sunday in pole position to secure
the final UEFA Champions League
qualification berth as he was released into acres of space on
the left before bursting into the
box and beating Joel with aplomb.
Topic: Arsenal 4-1 Wigan: Podolski double relegates Latics and lifts Gunners up to fourth (Read 1213 times)
