FOR the second time in four days, there were tears from Wigan Athletic in London, but last night they were of sorrow.
Roberto Martinez's side went from the joy of FA Cup success at Wembley to the sadness of losing their top-flight status at the Emirates after failing to earn the win over Arsenal that would have taken their survival fight to the final weekend.
Perhaps their greatest misfortune was in facing a side with something still to play for themselves, the three points lifting Arsenal ahead of local rivals Tottenham, perhaps decisively, in the battle to secure a Champions League place for next term. Wigan were unlucky, too, in the manner of this defeat.
Behind to Lukas Podolski's early opener, the German stooping to nod Santi Cazorla's tempting corner past Joel Robles, Roberto Martinez's side rallied and hauled themselves level just before the break through Shaun Maloney's devilish free-kick, awarded for a foul on the Scotland forward by Mikel Arteta and sparking scenes of celebration from the small travelling contingent.
After the interval, Wigan enjoyed plenty of the play and will perhaps reflect on a couple of key moments that did not go their way. First Arouna Kone played a neat one-two and burst into the Arsenal penalty area before rifling an angled shot that Wojciech Szczesny saved well at his near post, before James McCarthy had an effort ruled out for offside.
That seemed to wind Wigan, and three goals in the space of eight minutes just after the hour from Theo Walcott, Podolski and Aaron Ramsey condemned them to the drop. A swift 63rd-minute break put Cazorla away down the right, and his perfectly-weighted cross into the penalty area was clipped home by Walcott.
Podolski then made it 3-1 in the 68th minute. Cazorla was again the provider, exploiting Paul Scharner's poor positioning to allow the German to dash through and nudge over the goalkeeper. When Ramsey crashed in a fourth three minutes, surging into the box and smashing high past Robles at the near post, the game was up for the visitors.
"We have conceded far too many goals," said Martinez. "Going forward we have been magnificent and I think it's been our best season in terms of performances, but the injuries in the back line are something I have never seen before. To have four, five, even six players missing in the back line . . . we have to have so many different partnerships and keep changing, and that caused us problems."
Now they must now regroup for the npower Championship campaign to come, although how many of their number, including the coveted coach, will be at the club for that challenge remains to be seen. As for Arsenal, they will travel to Newcastle in the knowledge victory on the final day would secure yet another season in Europe's premier club competition.
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