This certainly wasn't on the cards. Just days after a mediocre performance and a 0-0 draw with a depleted Portsmouth side, who would have back the Latics at 2-0 down with ten minutes to go against the Gunners?
Another fine example of how things can change in football. Arsenal, with help from the referee, were cruising to another three points against Little Wigan.
However there were eleven men, lifted by 22,000 supporters, who had a different point of view.
Firstly, the Latics went in at half time 1-0 down as Theo Walcott was given too much time and space and opened the scoring for Arsenal.
Mikael Silvestre added a second for the Gunners shortly after the break, just minutes after Ben Watson was denied a stone wall penalty. What a turning point we thought that was going to be.
However it was Watson who turned to be the inspiration for the victory as he slotted home Victor Moses' pull back with ten minutes to go. Surely Wigan couldn't fight back from here?
As the clock ticked down, Titus Bramble, the man who epitomises the spirit of Wigan Athletic Football Club, nodded the ball home to equalise. The crowd went mad, happy at scrambling another point in the race for safety.
That wasn't to be the end of it. Arsenal through on Robin Van Persie as they went in search of a last minute winner, but it was Gunners target, Charles N'Zogbia who rifled in a beautiful curling shot off the post to give the Latics three points. The stadium errupted in a crecendo of noise and relief as Martinez and his team pulled away from the drop zone.
Hopefully a further three points against West Ham will follow next weekend and then a defeat to Hull which will send the not so might Hammers down. Wiganers still haven't forgotten the London club's antics with Carlos Tevez and Sheffield United, and also Brian Deane's header almost ten years ago as the Latics chased the Championship play offs.
First things first however, three points against the Hammers to secure our safety for another season. Well done Wigan Athletic on a courageous fight back today. Savour the three points and the victory that makes the league table all the more pleasing.
It will be a long journey home for Arsenal, but given their present side, they have plenty to be optimistic about next term.
Star Man: It is hard to pick out any single player from that performance. I think Titus Bramble edges it though, purely on the basis that he epitomises the Wigan Athletic ethic.
Worst performer: No-one in the Wigan team had a bad game after that result!
Best moment: When Charles N'Zogbia curled his screamer in off the post in stoppage time. The last time I was jumping around like that, David unsworth fired in a penalty at Bramall Lane two years ago.
Tactics: Prior to this season we hadn't beaten the so called big four in numerous attempts. Under Roberto Martinez we have beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and now Arsenal. We always seem to have a belief now, particularly against the bigger teams, that has been lacking in the past.
Chant of the game: It was great to hear the return of "You are my Sunshine", parhaps no coincidence that we managed three points as soon as this anthem was belted out!
Opposition fans: Arsenal had a good travelling support, but I guess that's common ground for top four sides with an outside chance of the title. They were relatively noisy when leading but were embarassingly quiet when losing. Perhaps they would be better seeking a better football supporting education at a lower league club to understand this.
Here is the reaction of the two managers.
Roberto Martinez
All the credit must go to the players. We all know we can play good football, we all know we can break teams down and we know we can get results again the top sides.
You won't see too many teams come from two goals down to beat what is a very good Arsenal side. We always had the belief in the team. I always felt we could pose problems for Arsenal because we were well organised and we were coping with the threat.
We just needed a goal, and I felt we had a very good penalty appeal turned down at the start of the second half. Then, immediately, we conceded the second goal, and that couldn't have been a bigger blow for us.
But I was delighted with the way we responded, because it is not easy to score goals against Arsenal from open play. Charles deserved his goal. It was a great ball in to Hugo, who linked up play very well and Charles is at his best in one-against-one situations.
The fans played a massive role in our win today and they deserve to be as happy as the players are, they were magnificent. We have always said that we are privileged to be working with Victor.
He is a young man who is just enjoying his football, but very soon he will be a very important player for us and for British football. It doesn't really bother me what this result means to the likes of Hull and Burnley. All I care about is Wigan Athletic, and this is a very special win.
This is the first time we have beaten Arsenal in the league, and to do that in the same season as beating Chelsea and Liverpool for the first time is something special for the fans to be proud of.
The players had to cope with a lot of criticism after Wednesday night, which I thought was very unfair because they did everything but score a goal. Now they will get the credit they deserve and I am pleased about that.
We expect three points from every game we play, and we have always been brave. Sometimes we have been heavily punished because of that, but that's the only way you can compete with and beat teams like Arsenal.
That is part of the learning curve we have spoken about, and it can sound like a broken record but it is reality. In football, you don't get anything by accident. You have to work hard.
We need to make sure complete the job of saying in the Premier League by getting another win to make us mathematically safe. We go to West Ham with a spring in our step after the home performances against Portsmouth and now Arsenal.
That has given us a consistency in our play, and we have to make that into our away matches as well. It's important to finish the season on a high and that starts next week at West Hm.
Arsene Wenger
In football you have to keep focused for 90 minutes, especially against a team that has nothing to lose and is fighting to stay up, as Wigan were.
We did not stay concentrated and we were punished for that in the end. I never thought the game was over because I saw we were having difficulties keeping the ball and creating chances. When you do not create chances you are always going to be in trouble.
I was concerned because after the game went to 2-0 we lacked cohesion and discipline in our play and I always felt we could be punished for that. If we had won this game, absolutely we would be in the title race. Now, though, we have to concentrate on the last three games.
Manchester City and Tottenham can both catch us, so we have to win at least one more game.
The table
| Latest match Sunday, 18th April 2010 |
Pld | Home | Away | Overall | Pts | GD | |||||||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | |||||||||
| 1 | Chelsea | 35 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 33 | 18 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 86 | 32 | 77 | +54 | ||||
| 2 | Manchester United | 35 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 45 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 33 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 7 | 78 | 27 | 76 | +51 | ||||
| 3 | Arsenal | 35 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 44 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 34 | 24 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 78 | 39 | 71 | +39 | ||||
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 39 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 62 | 34 | 64 | +28 | ||||
| 5 | Manchester City | 34 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 38 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 31 | 24 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 69 | 42 | 62 | +27 | ||||
| 6 | Aston Villa | 34 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 28 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 48 | 35 | 58 | +13 | ||||
| 7 | Liverpool | 34 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 40 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 54 | 33 | 56 | +21 | ||||
| 8 | Everton | 35 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 32 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 25 | 28 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 57 | 48 | 54 | +9 | ||||
| 9 | Birmingham City | 35 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 18 | 31 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 35 | 43 | 47 | -8 | ||||
| 10 | Fulham | 34 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 35 | 37 | 43 | -2 | ||||
| 11 | Stoke City | 34 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 33 | 37 | 43 | -4 | ||||
| 12 | Blackburn Rovers | 35 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 26 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 36 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 37 | 53 | 43 | -16 | ||||
| 13 | Sunderland | 35 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 35 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 46 | 53 | 41 | -7 | ||||
| 14 | Bolton Wanderers | 35 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 35 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 38 | 63 | 35 | -25 | ||||
| 15 | Wigan Athletic | 35 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 16 | 44 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 33 | 66 | 35 | -33 | ||||
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 35 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 31 | 8 | 10 | 17 | 28 | 51 | 34 | -23 | ||||
| 17 | West Ham United | 34 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 26 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 31 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 41 | 57 | 31 | -16 | ||||
| 18 | Hull City | 34 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 10 | 44 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 32 | 70 | 28 | -38 | ||||
| 19 | Burnley | 35 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 50 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 37 | 74 | 27 | -37 | ||||
| 20 | [R] Portsmouth (-9) | 35 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 21 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 62 | 15 | -33 | ||||
Next game
Next up for the Latics is the trip to West Ham. A victory against the Hammers would seal survival for Martinez's side, and in the process would push Trevor Brooking's favourite team further into the mire.