Arsenal and Chelsea the big winners as Wigan stun Man City
Championship side knock City out of the FA Cup as Arsenal and Chelsea celebrate
MANCHESTER CITY officially now have a bogey-team after Wigan Athletic ruined their dreams of FA Cup glory for the second year running with a stunning 2-1 win over Manuel Pellegrini's side at the Etihad.
You would have got long, long odds on Wigan of the Championship being the team that would end Man City's hopes of a quadruple, or domestic treble, this season. But goals either side of half time from Jordi Gomez, from the penalty spot, and James Perch, after an error by Gael Clichy, were enough to secure a famous win for the Latics and knock City out of a competition for the first time this season.
Samir Nasri pulled one back for the home side in the second half and that prompted a City onslaught for the final minutes of the match. But the unfancied visitors held on to prove that the romance of the cup is not dead.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It was a special moment for Wigan boss Uwe Rosler, who was a cult hero as a player at Man City in the 1990s. He described the win as his "biggest achievement" in management.
And Wigan's reward for downing the team seen by many as the best in the country? A semi-final against Arsenal at Wembley and quite possibly a congratulatory phonecall from Jose Mourinho of Chelsea, as this result could also have repercussions on the title race.
What can the big clubs take from the result?
Bad news for City
"This was the most troubling display in a sequence that has shown an undeniable drop in performance over the past five weeks or so," says The Times. "They have already won the Capital One Cup, but, out of the FA Cup and with their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread, they cannot afford to defend as badly as this if they wish to chase down Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League."
Very good news for Arsenal
The Gunners, who beat Everton on Saturday, are now one of only two Premier League sides left in the FA Cup, and they will face Wigan at Wembley next month. And if they win that they will face either Hull or Sheffield United in the final. That is not a daunting prospect considering they have disposed of Spurs, Liverpool and Everton. "Arsenal will expect to reach the final," says Henry Winter in the Daily Telegraph. "Surely, they will end nine years of hurt now? This has to be their time, their opportunity."
Good news for Chelsea
Out of form and out of the FA Cup, City are also nine points behind the Blues in the title race and "Jose Mourinho's statement that City are still favourites for the Premier League cannot be taken seriously", says The Independent. "Aside from Arsenal in 1998, there have been very few clubs who have capitalised on games in hand to win the title at this stage of the season." What's more City's next three away games are at Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, notes the Telegraph. According to Metro "this is now a one-horse title race".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Women are getting their own baseball league again
In the Spotlight The league is on track to debut in 2026
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Giant TVs are becoming the next big retail commodity
Under the Radar Some manufacturers are introducing TVs over 8 feet long
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
When will mortgage rates finally start coming down?
The Explainer Much to potential homebuyers' chagrin, mortgage rates are still elevated
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Thomas Tuchel to become next England football manager
Speed Read 'Divisive' German coach hopes to lead the men's team to victory
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
The wit and wisdom of Sven-Göran Eriksson
In Depth The first foreign coach to manage England on football, life and death
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?
feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
By The Week Staff Published
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and preview
feature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published