Arsenal's faint hopes of winning the Premier League title were finally killed off when Wigan Athletic scored three goals in the last 10 minutes to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory on Sunday. Arsenal, lifted by Chelsea's defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, looked to be coasting to victory through goals by Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre either side of halftime.
But Ben Watson, Titus Bramble and Charles N'Zogbia struck in quick succession to turn the match on its head and give Wigan their first league victory over Arsene Wenger's side. Lukasz Fabianski, celebrating his 25th birthday and replacing the injured Manuel Almunia in the Arsenal goal, was badly at fault for Wigan's equaliser when he failed to hold the ball from a corner, allowing Bramble to score.
The result moved Wigan on to 35 points, seven clear of Hull City, and virtually guaranteed their Premier League survival for another season. Arsenal, who would have moved to within three points of leaders Chelsea with a win, remained third on 71 points, six behind Chelsea and five adrift of Manchester United with just three matches to play. Wenger conceded that Arsenal were out of the title race on Wednesday when they lost 2-1 at arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur but they were handed an unlikely lifeline when Spurs beat Chelsea.
They looked poised to grab it when their depleted team coasted through the first 80 minutes at the DW Stadium without seriously being troubled. Walcott impishly put the Gunners ahead after 41 minutes, perfecting slotting past Chris Kirkland. Silvestre, replacing the injured Thomas Vermaelen in defence, made it 2-0 from a corner after 48 minutes with his first of the season.
Wigan, who had only sporadically threatened, pulled one back when Arsenal fan Watson scored after 80 minutes to set up what proved to be an astonishing finale and the most unlikely comeback in the Premier League this season. Bramble made it 2-2 in the 89th minute following the mistake by Fabianski, who was making his first appearance since an error-strewn display in a Champions League match against Porto in February.
N'Zogbia won the match with a superb strike from the edge of the penalty area which flew in off the post. Relegated FA Cup finalists Portsmouth were playing Aston Villa in the late kick-off (1500 GMT) at Fratton Park.