LONDON: Wigan Athletic became the first team to be relegated from England’s top flight in the same season as winning the FA Cup after they lost 4-1 at Arsenal in the Premier League on Tuesday.
The victory keeps Arsenal in pole position to claim fourth spot and a place in next year’s Champions League. They lead London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, in fifth spot, by one point with the last round of games to be played on Sunday.
Wigan have narrowly escaped relegation several times in recent seasons but their luck ran out at a rain-sodden Emirates Stadium just three days after they had beaten Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley to win the FA Cup for the first time.
Arsenal dominated the first 20 minutes and took the lead in the 11th when Lukas Podolski headed home from six metres after the Wigan defence failed to deal with a corner.
The visitors came back into the game and referee Mike Dean penalised a tackle by midfielder Mikel Arteta on Wigan’s Shaun Maloney just outside the Arsenal area shortly before halftime.
Maloney’s free kick arced over the Arsenal wall and just inside Wojciech Szczesny’s left-hand post after which Dean was booed off the pitch by the home fans at the break.
The second half was a full-blooded, equally matched contest until Arsenal’s England forward Theo Walcott met a cross from the right by Santi Cazorla to steer the ball into the Wigan net at full stretch in the 63rd minute.
Five minutes later, the lead stretched to two goals after Cazorla broke forward, the Wigan backline stopped and Podolski lifted the ball over Wigan goakeeper Joel Robles.
Arsenal went 4-1 up when Aaron Ramsey broke free on the left and ran unchecked into the area before blasting the ball home. (Reuters)
