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On this day: Wigan Athletic stun Arsenal with late three-goal comeback

Sports Mole looks back at Wigan Athletic's memorable 3-2 victory over Arsenal at the DW Stadium, on this day five years ago.

During their eight-year stay in the Premier League, Wigan Athletic repeatedly proved their doubters wrong to provide one of the great top-flight fairytale stories.

Having finished 10th in their maiden campaign, the Latics soon became experts at doing things the hard way by beating the drop in the most incredible of circumstances.

Wigan Athletic's French midfielder Charles N'Zogbia scores his teams third goal during the English Premier league football match against Arsenal at the DW Stadium, Wigan, north-west, England, on April 18, 2010© Getty Images

There was the 2-1 away win at Sheffield United which kept them in the top flight at the expense of their opponents on the final day of the season in 2007, while Steve Bruce managed to turn around their fortunes in some style the following year to lead Wigan to safety in a far more straightforward manner.

Bruce, an expert at keeping teams afloat in the Premier League, followed that up by guiding his side to their highest ever points tally, but it was under Roberto Martinez in 2010 when the dream looked as though it may have been coming to an end.

Consistency proved to be a real problem for the Latics, who failed to win back-to-back games all campaign to find themselves in real danger of facing the drop. One point from safety heading into March, the Lancashire club produced a stunning performance to see off Liverpool 1-0 at the DW Stadium to end a seven-game run without a win, picking up points against a so-called "big four" side for the first time in their short top-flight history.

Wigan would take four points from the next 18 on offer, but their fate was virtually sealed when they produced a stunning performance against Arsenal on this day five years ago. Two goals down with 10 minutes to play, Martinez's men not only earned themselves a point, but they went on to win the game in dramatic style.

Theo Walcott had given the visitors a lead shortly before the interval that they would soon double thanks to Mikael Silvestre's header from a corner kick three minutes after the restart.

Then came the three goals in 10 minutes which not only helped Athletic on their way to another season in the Prem, but also ended Arsenal's hopes of claiming the title.

Arsenal's English forward Theo Walcott scores the opening goal past Wigan Athletic's English goalkeeper Chris Kirkland during the English Premier league football match at the DW Stadium, Wigan, north-west, England on April 18, 2010© Getty Images

Ben Watson opened his side's account with a side-footed finish, before a mistake from Lukasz Fabianski allowed Titus Bramble to level things up. Then, deep into injury time, Charles N'Zogbia completed one of the league's all-time great comebacks with a curled shot off the post and beyond Fabianski to send the home supporters into absolute raptures.

Wigan would remain in the top flight for another couple of seasons before, ironically, they were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium to drop out of the division just days after lifting the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

With relegation to League One now on the horizon barring a real miracle in the closing weeks of the season, Latics supporters will no doubt look back at the afternoon they humbled Arsenal with fond memories, which may not return for a little while longer yet.

Wigan Athletic: Kirkland, Gohouri, Bramble, Melchiot, Figueroa, Watson (Scharner), N'Zogbia, McCarthy, Diame, Moreno (Moses), Rodallega

Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Silvestre, Clichy, Campbell, Eastmond (Van Persie), Diaby, Rosicky (Merida), Nasri, Walcott (Eboue), Bendtner

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Written by
Daniel Lewis
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