Wigan 2 Arsenal 2:ARSENAL MISSED out on a chance to join the two Manchester teams at the top of the league in even more remarkable circumstances than in missing out on all the points in the corresponding fixture last season. This time they threw away a winning position even though Wigan had just had a man sent off, Charles N'Zogbia seeing a straight red for a needless and childish headbutt on Jack Wilshere.

By that point 12 minutes from the end of the second half Arsenal had already come from a goal behind and ought to have been more than a goal in front. Andre Arshavin, their best attacking player, had just failed to add a second goal to the equaliser and assist he provided in the space of five minutes at the end of the first half.

Taking the ball across goal from Tomas Rosicky’s pass he attempted to turn and shoot but found Ali al-Habsi equal to the effort. Lukasz Fabianski in the Arsenal goal, culpable on at least two occasions here last season, made a fine save to deny N’Zogbia before Wigan’s best player was dismissed.

That looked to be the end of the matter, yet Wigan equalised with 10 men when Hugo Rodallega climbed to reach Ben Watson’s corner at the far post and Gary Caldwell forced the ball over the line from close range, with some assistance from Sebastien Squillaci.

The home side could have gone in front after a couple of minutes when Arsenal lost possession and Tom Cleverley’s alert cross found Rodallega on his own in front of goal, only for the Colombian to fail to get anything on the ball except his hand.

Restored to the side at Theo Walcott’s expense, Arshavin shot too high with a chance at the other end before Wigan took the lead after 17 minutes when N’Zogbia’s dribbling skills won a clear penalty from Laurent Koscielny and Watson thumped the ball in confidently from the penalty spot.

The Arsenal defender could have few complaints. N’Zogbia had already cut inside past Abou Diaby, and when a further twist took him inside the area and past Koscielny at the same time the stranded centre back stuck out a despairing leg and brought the winger down. Rather surprisingly he escaped without a card of any description, which came in handy a couple of minutes later when he had to execute a carefully timed tackle in the area to keep out Rodallega.

Lee Probert’s lenience was pushed to the limit in a scruffy period around the half hour when Hendry Thomas was on the receiving end of a couple of rash challenges. Although the game had settled down again by the time Arsenal drew level five minutes before the interval the move that led to the equaliser began with Emmanuel Eboue complaining bitterly about a free kick decision he thought had been awarded the other way.

Once on the edge of Wigan’s area Marouane Chamakh scooped a pass forward to create a shooting opportunity for Nicklas Bendtner. Ali al-Habsi responded with a diving parry but was powerless to do anything about the follow-up, acrobatically drilled into the unguarded net by Arshavin.

If Wigan thought that was bad there was worse to come, and again the Arshavin-Bendtner combination did the damage. The Russian poked a clever pass forward that caught Antolin Alcaraz with his back to the action and allowed Bendtner to hold off the other centre-half, Gary Caldwell, to score his second league goal of the season with a low shot past al-Habsi.

Wigan did not abandon all hope, it took a Fabianski save from Rodallega to preserve Arsenal’s advantage.

A Cleverley shot that only cleared the bar by inches was the closest Wigan came to rescuing a point with 11 men, and when N’Zogbia went on a run shortly before his dismissal and exchanged passes with James McArthuer it appeared Fabianski kept out the best Wigan could produce. The fun, in fact, was only just starting.

WIGAN ATHLETIC: Al Habsi, Stam (Figueroa 85), Gary Caldwell, Alcaraz, Gohouri, Thomas, Diame (McArthur 72), Cleverley, Watson, N’Zogbia, Rodallega. Subs not used: Pollitt, Boselli, Steven Caldwell, Gomez, McManaman. Booked: Gary Caldwell.

ARSENAL: Fabianski, Eboue, Squillaci, Koscielny, Sagna, Diaby (Wilshere 27), Rosicky, Denilson, Bendtner, Chamakh, Arshavin (Nasri 82), Wilshere (Walcott 83). Subs not used: Szczesny, Vela, Djourou, Clichy.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).