FA Cup winners Wigan were
relegated from the Premier
League after losing 4-1 to a
rampant Arsenal at the
Emirates Stadium in a game
where only three points
would have saved their top-
flight status.
The Gunners, too, were
desperate for a win to keep
alive their ambition of
finishing in the top four and
Lukas Podolski capitalised on
some woeful defending to hand the home side an
early lead while a Shaun Maloney free kick – won in
questionable circumstances – drew the visitors level
before the break.
Roberto Martinez's side threatened to put the
dampeners on Arsenal's final home game of the
season but clinical second-half strikes from Theo
Walcott, Podolski and Aaron Ramsey ensured that
they both regained control of the final Champions
League qualification spot going into the last game of
the season and terminated Wigan's eight-year stay in
the top flight.
Neither side came into the high-stakes encounter
with fresh injury concerns and Arsene Wenger's
decision to replace Nacho Monreal with Kieran Gibbs
at left-back was the only departure from the starting
line-ups that last featured for both.
That, though, was an issue. The emotional nature of
the Latics' remarkable turn at Wembley on Saturday
offered a draining contrast to their hosts' 10 days of
inaction since beating QPR, particularly considering
that, while Wigan were enjoying the greatest moment
in their history, notable Premier League strugglers
conspired against them with crucial wins.
Consequently, Arsenal imposed themselves on their
jaded-looking visitors, were met with flimsy resistance
and took the lead just after the 10-minute mark.
Alarm bells should have been ringing when a free
Santi Cazorla hit the deck to send a controlled header
skidding wide of the upright and moments later a
totally unmarked Podolski stooped to nod home a
bouncing corner delivered by the Spaniard.
The Gunners loosened slightly thereafter and, though
Gibbs nearly got on the end of Bacary Sagna's cross-
cum-shot, it took Laurent Koscielny's well-timed,
agile interception to deny a lurking Arouna Kone.
More questionable defending from a corner saw
Koscielny poke narrowly wide before Walcott saw an
effort ruled out for offside as Wenger's side
threatened to render Wigan's end-of-half ascendancy
somewhat impotent. However, moments before the
interval, Maloney struck a lethal free-kick from edge
of the area that Wojciech Szczesny's hand could not
prevent from nestling into the bottom corner.
Wigan started the second half in a much more
confident manner, testing Szczesny right away as the
Polish goalkeeper stood firm to thwart Kone's close-
range attempt, while James McCarthy was half a
yard offside when he tucked home. Arsenal
countered immediately and Joel Robles denied
Cazorla as the the home side's freshness became
telling.
FA Cup winners Wigan were
relegated from the Premier
League after losing 4-1 to a
rampant Arsenal at the
Emirates Stadium in a game
where only three points
would have saved their top-
flight status.
The Gunners, too, were
desperate for a win to keep
alive their ambition of
finishing in the top four and
Lukas Podolski capitalised on
some woeful defending to hand the home side an
early lead while a Shaun Maloney free kick – won in
questionable circumstances – drew the visitors level
before the break.
Roberto Martinez's side threatened to put the
dampeners on Arsenal's final home game of the
season but clinical second-half strikes from Theo
Walcott, Podolski and Aaron Ramsey ensured that
they both regained control of the final Champions
League qualification spot going into the last game of
the season and terminated Wigan's eight-year stay in
the top flight.
Neither side came into the high-stakes encounter
with fresh injury concerns and Arsene Wenger's
decision to replace Nacho Monreal with Kieran Gibbs
at left-back was the only departure from the starting
line-ups that last featured for both.
That, though, was an issue. The emotional nature of
the Latics' remarkable turn at Wembley on Saturday
offered a draining contrast to their hosts' 10 days of
inaction since beating QPR, particularly considering
that, while Wigan were enjoying the greatest moment
in their history, notable Premier League strugglers
conspired against them with crucial wins.
Consequently, Arsenal imposed themselves on their
jaded-looking visitors, were met with flimsy resistance
and took the lead just after the 10-minute mark.
Alarm bells should have been ringing when a free
Santi Cazorla hit the deck to send a controlled header
skidding wide of the upright and moments later a
totally unmarked Podolski stooped to nod home a
bouncing corner delivered by the Spaniard.
The Gunners loosened slightly thereafter and, though
Gibbs nearly got on the end of Bacary Sagna's cross-
cum-shot, it took Laurent Koscielny's well-timed,
agile interception to deny a lurking Arouna Kone.
More questionable defending from a corner saw
Koscielny poke narrowly wide before Walcott saw an
effort ruled out for offside as Wenger's side
threatened to render Wigan's end-of-half ascendancy
somewhat impotent. However, moments before the
interval, Maloney struck a lethal free-kick from edge
of the area that Wojciech Szczesny's hand could not
prevent from nestling into the bottom corner.
Wigan started the second half in a much more
confident manner, testing Szczesny right away as the
Polish goalkeeper stood firm to thwart Kone's close-
range attempt, while James McCarthy was half a
yard offside when he tucked home. Arsenal
countered immediately and Joel Robles denied
Cazorla as the the home side's freshness became
telling.
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