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ARSENALPossessionWigan 50%Arsenal 50%Attempts on targetWigan 0Arsenal 0Attempts off targetWigan 0Arsenal 0CornersWigan 0Arsenal 0FoulsWigan 0Arsenal 0Barclays Premier LeagueVenue: DW Stadium Date: Sunday, 18 April 2010 Kick-off: 1330 BSTCoverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, full match commentary on BBC Radio Manchester (95.1FM and DAB), highlights on Match of the Day 2 & live on Sky Sports 1
TEAM NEWS
Wigan will be without Gary Caldwell for the visit of Arsenal, with the defender completing a three-game ban.Latics midfielder Hendry Thomas is still struggling with a thigh injury and is rated doubtful.
Arsenal centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is likely to miss the rest of the season after picking up a calf injury.
Midfielder Denilson is a doubt with a groin problem but Robin van Persie could start after an impressive cameo in the defeat at Tottenham.
Wigan
Suspended: Caldwell (one match) Doubtful: Thomas (thigh)
Injured: Kingson (groin)
Arsenal
Doubtful: Denilson (groin)
Injured: Arshavin, Gallas & Vermaelen (all calf), Djourou & Song (both knee), Fabregas & Ramsey (both leg), Gibbs (foot)
MATCH PREVIEWArsenal have been written off as title contenders on countless occasions this season but Wednesday's defeat at Tottenham appears to be the final nail in the coffin.
There's too much to do now, we're very unlikely now to win the championship
Manager Arsene Wenger admits their Premier League challenge is over, and the bookies agree, making the Gunners odds-on to end the season empty handed.
Arsenal did stage a late rally at White Hart Lane following Robin van Persie's second-half introduction, but it was not enough to snatch a point.
Things could have turned out very differently had the Dutchman stayed fit this season. The Gunners averaged over three goals per league game until van Persie was injured on international duty in November, but have never quite hit those heights during the five months he spent recovering from ankle ligament damage.
Wigan are inching their way towards safety, though boss Roberto Martinez may regard Wednesday's goalless draw with Portsmouth as two points dropped.
The Latics may be in poor form but they have already beaten Chelsea and Liverpool on home turf this season. They will also draw confidence from the absence of first-choice Arsenal centre-backs Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• Arsenal have won eight of their nine league meetings with Wigan, the exception being a goalless draw away to the Latics in March 2008.
• Wigan's only previous victory against the Gunners was a 2-1 win in a Carling Cup semi-final first leg in 2006. Paul Jewell's side went on to reach the final on away goals.
Wigan
• The Latics have only won two of their last 14 Premier League games.
• Roberto Martinez's side have failed to score more than one goal in any of their last 14 Premier League matches, and have managed only four in their last 10 outings.
• Wigan have thrown away 19 league points this season, the joint highest figure in the Premier League along with Stoke.
Arsenal
• Defeat at White Hart Lane was the Gunners' first loss in nine league games. However, they have only kept two clean sheets in their last 13 away league games.
• The loss to Spurs was the eighth successive league match in which the Gunners scored in the final 10 minutes.
• The Gunners have lost only one of 17 matches against sides in the bottom half of the Premier League. That was the 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in November.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Wigan
Rodallega: 9 goals (9 league); N'Zogbia: 6 goals (4 league)
Arsenal
Fabregas: 19 goals (15 league);Bendtner: 12 goals (6 league); Arshavin: 11 goals (9 league)
MATCH OFFICIALSReferee: Lee Mason
Assistant referees: Jake Collin & Mick McDonough
Fourth official: Martin Atkinson
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPSWigan (D0-0 v Portsmouth, h): Kirkland, Melchiot, Gohouri, Bramble, Figueroa, Diame, Scharner (Moreno 56), McCarthy, N'Zogbia, Scotland (Moses 88), Rodallega. Subs not used: Stojkovic, Watson, Gomez, Sinclair, Boyce.
Arsenal (L1-2 v Tottenham, a): Almunia, Sagna (Walcott 52), Campbell, Vermaelen (Silvestre 20), Clichy, Eboue, Diaby, Denilson (van Persie 68), Rosicky, Bendtner, Nasri. Subs not used: Fabianski, Eduardo, Merida, Eastmond.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Arsenal scorers: Vermaelen 25, 49, Eduardo 59, Fabregas 90This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
TEAM NEWS
Wigan will be without Gary Caldwell for the visit of Arsenal, with the defender completing a three-game ban.Latics midfielder Hendry Thomas is still struggling with a thigh injury and is rated doubtful.
Arsenal centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is likely to miss the rest of the season after picking up a calf injury.
Midfielder Denilson is a doubt with a groin problem but Robin van Persie could start after an impressive cameo in the defeat at Tottenham.
Wigan
Suspended: Caldwell (one match) Doubtful: Thomas (thigh)
Injured: Kingson (groin)
Arsenal
Doubtful: Denilson (groin)
Injured: Arshavin, Gallas & Vermaelen (all calf), Djourou & Song (both knee), Fabregas & Ramsey (both leg), Gibbs (foot)
MATCH PREVIEWArsenal have been written off as title contenders on countless occasions this season but Wednesday's defeat at Tottenham appears to be the final nail in the coffin.
There's too much to do now, we're very unlikely now to win the championship
Manager Arsene Wenger admits their Premier League challenge is over, and the bookies agree, making the Gunners odds-on to end the season empty handed.
Arsenal did stage a late rally at White Hart Lane following Robin van Persie's second-half introduction, but it was not enough to snatch a point.
Things could have turned out very differently had the Dutchman stayed fit this season. The Gunners averaged over three goals per league game until van Persie was injured on international duty in November, but have never quite hit those heights during the five months he spent recovering from ankle ligament damage.
Wigan are inching their way towards safety, though boss Roberto Martinez may regard Wednesday's goalless draw with Portsmouth as two points dropped.
The Latics may be in poor form but they have already beaten Chelsea and Liverpool on home turf this season. They will also draw confidence from the absence of first-choice Arsenal centre-backs Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• Arsenal have won eight of their nine league meetings with Wigan, the exception being a goalless draw away to the Latics in March 2008.
• Wigan's only previous victory against the Gunners was a 2-1 win in a Carling Cup semi-final first leg in 2006. Paul Jewell's side went on to reach the final on away goals.
Wigan
• The Latics have only won two of their last 14 Premier League games.
• Roberto Martinez's side have failed to score more than one goal in any of their last 14 Premier League matches, and have managed only four in their last 10 outings.
• Wigan have thrown away 19 league points this season, the joint highest figure in the Premier League along with Stoke.
Arsenal
• Defeat at White Hart Lane was the Gunners' first loss in nine league games. However, they have only kept two clean sheets in their last 13 away league games.
• The loss to Spurs was the eighth successive league match in which the Gunners scored in the final 10 minutes.
• The Gunners have lost only one of 17 matches against sides in the bottom half of the Premier League. That was the 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in November.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
WiganRodallega: 9 goals (9 league); N'Zogbia: 6 goals (4 league)
ArsenalFabregas: 19 goals (15 league);Bendtner: 12 goals (6 league); Arshavin: 11 goals (9 league)
MATCH OFFICIALSReferee: Lee Mason
Assistant referees: Jake Collin & Mick McDonough
Fourth official: Martin Atkinson
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPSWigan (D0-0 v Portsmouth, h): Kirkland, Melchiot, Gohouri, Bramble, Figueroa, Diame, Scharner (Moreno 56), McCarthy, N'Zogbia, Scotland (Moses 88), Rodallega. Subs not used: Stojkovic, Watson, Gomez, Sinclair, Boyce.
Arsenal (L1-2 v Tottenham, a): Almunia, Sagna (Walcott 52), Campbell, Vermaelen (Silvestre 20), Clichy, Eboue, Diaby, Denilson (van Persie 68), Rosicky, Bendtner, Nasri. Subs not used: Fabianski, Eduardo, Merida, Eastmond.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Arsenal scorers: Vermaelen 25, 49, Eduardo 59, Fabregas 90This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.