Gunners crash back to earth

IT may not have had a similar terminal effect on Arsenal’s title bid, but the manner of the way they dropped key points here could have a lasting consequences for Arsene Wenger’s side.

Last season Arsenal’s bid for Premier League silverware ended with a dramatic 3-2 defeat at the DW Stadium.

Last night they blew another chance by failing to edge themselves closer to the top here.

Having looked so good barely 48 hours earlier against Chelsea, this time it was sloppiness that undid all that hard work.

A late own goal from Sebastian Squillaci proved the defining moment of this match, heading into his own net in the 81st minute.

To make matters worse, Arsenal pressed the self-destruct button themselves.

With Wigan trailing and Charles N’Zogbia having just been dismissed, the visitors looked destined to take home the points.

Yet there old problems came back to haunt them, failing to defend corner.

Perhaps Wenger can look at himself for this failure. The Arsenal manager made eight changes and it backfired.

The victory for Arsenal against Chelsea was a bold statement about their intentions in the title race as they finally shedded their inferiority complex.

Yet all that hard work was undone here, not helped by the sluggish start they made here. Whether it was the wholesale changes or not, this was not the Arsenal side from 48 hours ago.

It was summed up as early as the fifth minute. Hugo Rodallega escaped his marker and had a clear sight on goal, only to misjudge Tom Cleverley’s flighted cross. Arsenal continued to live dangerously, yet their counter-attacking ability is among the best in the Premier League.

In the flick of an eye, Tomas Rosicky switched the play and Andrey Arshavin took his pass before firing inches over in the seventh minute.

Yet it was no surprise to see them fall behind in the 18th minute.

Having imposed themselves on this game with their high-tempo start, Charles N’Zogbia found himself in acres of space soon found the trailing leg of Laurent Koscielny.

Despite doubts over where the initial contact was made, referee Lee Probert had no hesitation in pointing to the spot where Ben Watson stepped up to sweep home his first Premier League goal of the season.

It wasn’t as though Arsenal didn’t possess a threat of their own, with Rosicky’s long-rang strike initially spilled by goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, before gathering at the second attempt in the 23rd minute.

Without ever finding top gear, there was still enough quality to break down a struggling Wigan side.

After much huffing and puffing, the intricate play duly provided the 39th minute leveller via Arshavin’s acrobatic effort.

Nicklas Bendter’s low shot was pushed out, but significantly up in the air, by Al Habsi and the Russian winger made a difficult volley look easy. Just five minutes later, Bendtner completed the turn-around. Arshavin’s threaded pass should have been cut out by Antolin Alcaraz, yet Bendtner shrugged off his marker all too easily to slide home.

The open first-half was traded in for tight and error-ridden start to the second period. Yet if shutting up shop was Wenger’s philosophy, he had been warned.

Arsenal have a history of losing leads at this ground.

And with the home supporters quick to remind the Gunners how they triumphed in a thrilling contest between these two sides last season, Wigan had plenty in their locker as Tom Cleverley and NZogbia threatened.

However, Wigan’s final chance looked to have come and gine when N’Zogbia blotted his copybook with a red card following an off-the-ball headbutt on Jack Wilshire.

Probert, after consultation with his fourth official, had little choice but to send the winger packing in an incident that sparked a 20-man melee.

Yet Arsenal pressed the self-destruct button once again, with Squillaci under pressure form Gary Caldwell turned the ball into his own net.

WIGAN (4-2-3-1): Al Habsi 6; Gohouri 6, Alcaraz 6, G Caldwell 7, Stam 6 (Figueroa 85, 6); Thomas 6, Diame 6 (McArthur 72, 6); N’Zogbia 8, Watson 7, Cleverley 7; Rodallega 7

ARSENAL (4-4-2): Fabianksi 6; Sagna 6, Koscielny 5, Squillaci 5, Eboue 6; Rosicky 7, Diaby 5 (Wilshire 27, 6, Walcott 83, 5), Denilson 5, Arshavin 7 (Nasri 83, 6); Chamakh 6, Bendtner 7

Referee: Lee Probert.