Premier League Preview: Arsenal v Wigan

Newly crowned FA Cup champions Wigan will head to Arsenal on Tuesday with both sides desperate for three points in the English Premier League.

Arsenal must defeat Wigan at home to have any chance of claiming third spot in the Premier League by the end of the season, while the visitors remain locked in a battle against relegation.

Wigan claimed their first major trophy on Saturday when they stunned Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final but need at least three points in their final two Premier League games to avoid becoming the first club to win the world’s oldest cup competition and be relegated in the same season.

In their final two matches, Wigan must travel to Arsenal and then host Aston Villa on the final day of the season.

Roberto Martinez’s side sit in 18th on the Premier League table, the third relegation spot in England’s top flight, three points behind Newcastle United, Norwich City and Sunderland.

A win at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday could take Wigan level with the trio of clubs above them on 38 points, although Newcastle United, Norwich City and Sunderland are set to play on Sunday.

But Wigan will not be able to bank on a disinterested Arsenal side giving them a sniff in London, as Arsene Wenger’s team must win to keep the pressure on third-placed Chelsea heading into the final round of the season.

Chelsea’s 2-1 win away to Aston Villa on Saturday left Arsenal (67 points) five points adrift of their London rivals in the battle for an automatic berth in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

While Wenger’s target will be third spot and automatic qualification to the Champions League, Arsenal also need three points to ensure they stay ahead of another London club, Tottenham Hotspur.

If Arsenal fail to defeat Wigan, Tottenham (66 points) would leap into fourth if they knock off Stoke on Sunday.

Arsenal defeated Queens Park Rangers 1-0 last week, while Wigan lost 3-2 to Swansea in their most recent Premier League encounter.