Despite having a severely depleted squad through injuries and suspensions, the Latics have achieved two very good Christmas results with a win away at Molineux followed by an impressive draw against title chasing Arsenal at the DW Stadium.
Here is the reaction of those involved.
Roberto Martinez
I am extremely pleased. Obviously in the manner of game when you needed a real reaction, with character, with passion and then obviously with understanding of what the game needs and we showed that.
In the second half, in my eyes, we beat Arsenal 1-0 with 10 men and I think that speaks volumes of the performance of today.
In the first 25 minutes I felt we controlled the game. We were a real threat in the last third, we stopped Arsenal from getting on ball, then we got a deserved lead but then for 20 minutes we lost it completely.
I think we didn’t understand what was needed, we allowed Arsenal to have superiority in the midfield area and they really punished us. We lost the concentration.
However, after the break Wigan resumed their pressing game and giving the Arsenal players little time to settle and create against them. And it was that reaction that particularly pleased the Spaniard.
In the second half it was completely differentt. We had better possession, more possession which is difficult to achieve against a talented side like Arsenal and that speaks volumes of the know-how, understating and how far come this season.
Charles started the game really well, he got the penalty, but he gets kicked in every game and there are a lot of emotions but you cannot accept that sort of reaction, he let the team down.
But football is a team game, and the reaction of players got Charles out of jail in that respect. We’ll deal with it internally, not something I like, he knows that.
Arsene Wenger
I had to change the team - with all these matches we cannot play always with the same team - but I don't think that was a problem at all.
We had a disadvantage that Manchester United has not got - Wigan played three days ago and we played 48 hours ago, a big game in the evening.
It is a point and we will see at the end of the season how important it is - last night Man U played 1-1 at Birmingham and we played 2-2 in this game. I don't think it's a shame - overall the draw was all right. Wigan had chances as well.
The table
| Latest match Wednesday, 29th December 2010 |
Pld | Home | Away | Overall | Pts | GD | |||||||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | |||||||||
| 1 | Manchester United | 18 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 39 | 17 | 38 | +22 | ||||
| 2 | Manchester City | 20 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 16 | 38 | +16 | ||||
| 3 | Arsenal | 19 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 39 | 22 | 36 | +17 | ||||
| 4 | Chelsea | 19 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 33 | 15 | 34 | +18 | ||||
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 19 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 23 | 33 | +6 | ||||
| 6 | Bolton Wanderers | 20 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 32 | 26 | 29 | +6 | ||||
| 7 | Sunderland | 20 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 21 | 22 | 27 | -1 | ||||
| 8 | Blackpool | 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 29 | 25 | -3 | ||||
| 9 | Blackburn Rovers | 20 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 31 | 25 | -5 | ||||
| 10 | Stoke City | 19 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 23 | 24 | 24 | -1 | ||||
| 11 | Everton | 19 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 22 | 22 | -1 | ||||
| 12 | Liverpool | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 23 | 22 | -2 | ||||
| 13 | Newcastle United | 19 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 28 | 31 | 22 | -3 | ||||
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion | 19 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 34 | 22 | -9 | ||||
| 15 | Aston Villa | 19 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 34 | 20 | -14 | ||||
| 16 | Wigan Athletic | 19 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 31 | 20 | -14 | ||||
| 17 | Birmingham City | 18 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 21 | 19 | -3 | ||||
| 18 | Fulham | 19 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 19 | 23 | 19 | -4 | ||||
| 19 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 19 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 32 | 18 | -12 | ||||
| 20 | West Ham United | 20 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 33 | 17 | -13 | ||||
Next game
Next up for the Latics is the visit of Newcastle United on 2nd January . Alan Pardew hasn't had the best start to his career with the Geordies and Martinez will be hopeful of picking up maximum points to bump the Latics further up the table.