EPL: Wigan Athletic prove their worth as Tottenham capitulate
It is strange how teams can come together to make an impact, to play as if their lives depended on it and to perform as if there is no tomorrow for them in the sporting world. Such was the case with Wigan Athletic on their trip to the White Hart Lane in London.
In a season which so far has had more ups and downs than a Dan Brown novel, Wigan have been the latest to shock football fans with their remarkable powers of inconsistency. Roberto Martinez, who was appointed Wigan’s manager before the last Premier League season, was in trouble before the third round of matches in the English league kicked off.
After having obtained zero points from their last two games and conceding around 10 goals from both their opening encounters combined, Wigan were contenders for being the first crisis club of the season. In the summer transfer window which officially closes on the 1st of September, 2010, Wigan had been slow in doing business due to the lack of funds at the club. Their squad also seemed to be on the brink of destruction, with their supposedly most valued player, Charles N’Zogbia throwing fits about his speculated move to Birmingham City and Hugo Rodallega also following the same suit with regard to his future at the club.
In their first match of the season, Wigan suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Blackpool. Yes, Blackpool F.C, the new comers of the English Premier League. Blackpool totally dominated a Wigan side which looked out of sorts and out of their depth against the Seasiders. An eventual score line of four goals to nil, was not flattering at all to the Tangerines, who quite frankly were expecting better when they visited the DW Stadium for their first league match of the season.
If that was not enough, the next match brought the English Champions Chelsea to the Latics’ home ground and again Wigan were stuffed by Didier Drogba and Co. After Ancelloti’s men scored six past Kirkland, it looked as if Martinez’s job was under threat due to the nature of the results that his team had gathered in their first two weeks of the season. The Spanish manager’s task was not going to be easy as the next game that Wigan had on their cards was away at Tottenham.
Wigan performed quite admirably against the top four pretenders’ Tottenham Hotspurs. Before the season started a lot of the Spurs’ fans were troubled by the fact that their club was just not good enough to sustain a league challenge while performing in the UEFA Champions League. This has unfortunately been proven true by Tottenham’s latest result. Hotspurs played Young Boys from Switzerland in their mid-week qualification play-off for the Group Stages of the UEFA Champions League and not only did Harry’s boys play well they ended up as winners due to Peter Crouch’s superb aerial ability.
However, in the following English Premier League match, Tottenham looked like a jaded team. Despite the fact that the match was held at their home ground, the White Hart Lane, the London club was unable to break down the resilient Wigan defence. Something that Chelsea and Blackpool had succeeded in accomplishing. Wigan ended up as winners at the full time whistle albeit by only a single goal. It should be remembered that the corresponding fixture last season ended in humiliation for the Latics as Tottenham pummelled a record nine goals past them.
After the match, Roberto Martinez spoke to the media and said that, his players were prepared to give their lives for each other during the match. It might be a clichéd statement from a Bollywood flick but the Spanish had it right. Wigan did themselves proud and asked some questions of their own from the pundits who had doomed the Lancashire club to relegation.
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