SOCCER ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Arsenal 1 Wigan Athletic 2:THE EQUATION had seemed simple enough for Arsenal. Take a home victory from a team towards the foot of the table and stride decisively towards an automatic Champions League berth. Yet nothing has been simple for them. Indeed, the unpredictability of matches in England this season has reached glorious new heights.
Here was another helter-skelter example, and the latest twist in Arsenal’s impossible-to-script campaign. Wigan Athletic not only stormed into an early two-goal lead but they held their hosts at arm’s length with comfort in the second-half, when they even looked the likelier scorers. Hard on the heels of their victories over Liverpool and Manchester United, this was another stunning scalp. Playing like this, it feels outlandish to imagine them in the Championship next season. Arsenal stumbled, when the chance to open up an eight point lead over Tottenham in fourth had beckoned.
Arsenal dared not drop points yet the stakes were arguably higher for Wigan: the retention of Premier League status means everything to them, in both sporting and financial terms. Roberto Martinez’s team had arrived on their best run of form of the season yet the start that they made was simply staggering.
The tiny enclave of travelling supporters were still buzzing with delight from Franco Di Santo’s opening goal, converted after a well-constructed and incisive counterattack, when Victor Moses flummoxed Bacary Sagna and crossed low from the left.
James McArthur attacked the ball and, when it broke, Gomez beat Wojciech Szczesny at the second attempt.
Wigan were 2-0 up after eight minutes. The home team were all over the place at the back and, if the atmosphere had felt slightly subdued at kick-off time, it crackled, rather abruptly, with irritation.
Martinez’s unusual formation was designed to provide defensive strength and pace on the break, and he could revel in Di Santo’s goal, which stemmed from an Arsenal corner. James McCarthy, Moses and Gomez were instrumental in the move and Di Santo fashioned the finish, getting the ball over the advancing Szczesny and running on to volley into the unguarded net.
Arsenal’s response was ferocious. With Aaron Ramsey on for the injured Mikel Arteta, they poured forward, sometimes committing their centre-halves as well their full-backs. Yossi Benayoun had forced Ali Al-Habsi to tip over a smart header in the fifth minute and he drew a more acrobatic save from the Wigan goalkeeper with another header.
There was an inevitability about Arsenal reducing the deficit and Thomas Vermaelen seemed to dispatch Tomas Rosicky’s whipped cross with a snarl. It felt as though Wigan might have scored their goals too early. Robin van Persie stung Al-Habsi’s palms from distance; Djourou volleyed inches wide and Rosicky scooped over after a one-two with Van Persie.
Yet Arsenal were slipshod and nervous in defence and the crowd sensed it. They raged whenever Wigan got into dangerous areas on the flanks, which was far too often for Wenger’s liking. It was remarkable to witness some of the positional errors from those in red as they struggled to track Wigan’s fluid front three.
Wenger felt that Wigan were guilty of gamesmanship. Al-Habsi first dragged his heels over a goal-kick in the third minute, which had to be some sort of record while some of Wigan’s players went down and stayed down. Wenger flapped his arms at Kevin Friend, the fourth official. In injury-time, when Al-Habsi was booked, he completely lost his composure at Friend.
Arsenal battled to find their rhythm in the second half and they continued to risk everything with their defending. Moses beat Sagna to draw a save out of Szczesny while, on the hour, the Wigan winger passed up a glorious opportunity, after he had raced on to a long throw that Maynor Figueroa launched from deep inside the Wigan half. Andre Santos and Djourou both failed to deal with the ball and Moses found himself one-on-one with Szczesny only to shoot weakly at him.
Edginess reigned. Santos had snatched at a close-range effort on 58 minutes but that was as close as Arsenal would come.
Guardian Service
ARSENAL:Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou (Oxlade-Chamberlain 74), Vermaelen,Andre Santos, Song, Arteta (Ramsey 9), Walcott, Rosicky, Benayoun (Gervinho 61), van Persie. Subs not used: Fabianski, Squillaci, Gibbs, Chamakh. Booked: Sagna, Song.
WIGAN ATHLETIC:Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McCarthy, McArthur, Beausejour, Moses, Di Santo (Sammon 75), Gomez (Diame 86).
Subs not used:Pollitt, Ben Watson, McManaman, Jones, Stam.
Booked:Caldwell, Al Habsi, McArthur.
Referee:Andre Marriner (W Midlands).
