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Latics created history today by not only beating Arsenal for the first time in the League, but also for what must have been the greatest comeback in Premier League history. With 10 minutes to go the Arsenal fans were giving it the big I am whilst Wigan Athletic was battling away, wearing down their opponents on the pitch.
We started the game off nervously but still playing very good football, the midfield was winning their fair share of the ball and we created quite a few chances. The first chance of the half though fell to Charles N’Zogbia who fired way over the bar after great work from Mohamed Diame on the left.
Campbell was his usual strong self; he somehow evaded giving us a free and him getting a yellow card after 10 minutes as he clattered in high on Rodallega. N’Zogbia then gets a golden chance to test the sometimes shambolic Fabianski but his shot was wide of the target and the Gunner’s goalkeeper breathed a sigh of relief.
Latics were getting quite a bit of the ball and were solid at the back when Arsenal did get a rare attack, we continued to get into attacking positions but as we have seen in games of late, the composure was lacking and it looked like we would suffer for not taking these chances.
It was 5 minutes from half time when the stinger came as Theo Walcott showed why should be going to South Africa in the summer with a great goal. Totally against the run of play Bendtner fed the young England forward an inch perfect ball and the Arsenal striker spanked it past the helpless Kirkland. We went into half time wondering if not taking our chances would sting us.
Two minutes after the restart things got a whole lot worse as an unmarked Silvestre popped up for a corner to head home, a soft goal that must have sent Martinez fuming. We hadn’t even got into our stride and we were two down and were having to listen to how great the Arse were from their travelling 4,000 or so.
We didn’t let our heads go down though, we never do and N’Zogbia could have got a goal back almost immediately, but his shot lacked any serious power and the Gunners keeper saved easily. We then took advantage of Arsenal’s arrogance as we took on their midfield and won lots of ball.
McCarthy was looking more and hungrier and with help from a very impressive second half performance by Ben Watson managed a couple of teasing shots himself. The first was nicely saved, but the second took all the experience of Campbell to block and put it out for a corner.
Watson himself was looking like he wanted in on the action and fired off a warning shot for the Arsenal defence, the ball managed find a route through to goal but Fabianski saw it late and saved well. N’Zogbia went on another jinking run but again his shot left a lot to be desired and crept just wide of the post.
Bramble committed ABH on Walcott, the young Gunner certainly felt this tackle, but it strangely got the crowd up and singing and the team responded to it. Just two minutes later the volume seemed to have spurred substitute Victor Moses on as he took on two defenders, got to the byline line to pull back a great ball that landed straight in the path of Ben Watson who made no mistake from 10 yards, 1-1 and how the ground went daft.
The volume levels inside the ground now went up tenfold as we could see the team having belief oosing through them. It took some great defending from Silvestre to deny Rodallega and Campbell was in the right place at the right time to cut out another Moses charge.
In the final couple of minutes though we a free kick on the edge of the area, the ball was put out for a corner, a great saving header from Sagna. We launched the ball in from the corner only to have a header from Watson cleared off the line by Nasri and scrambled out for another corner.
N’Zogbia fires another corner in which the flapping keeper seemed to have caught only for him to lose control of the ball and drop it on to Brambles head and see it go over the line for Latics equaliser. We went into ecstasy over this and knew we only need to hang on another 4 minutes for a great draw and confidence boost.
The players had other thoughts though and sensed that they could get more out of the game and how right they were. A minute into injury time Charles N’Zogbia got the ball on the right and went on a jinking little run past three defender and unleashed a storming drive that left the Arsenal keeper rooted to his spot as watched the ball creep in of the post and send the DW Stadium into raptures.
It was too late for Wenger’s boys to come back from and Latics made history. It also took us 6 points away from Hull City and that final relegation place, a win at the world cup winners (sic) next week would definitely see us safe, although it could well be that we already are.
Report by Jayt
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Mohamed Diame
Theo Walcott
Marcelo Moreno
Victor Moses
