Arsene Wenger Calls Wigan 'Disrespectful' After Gunners Lose at Home

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger launched a stinging critique of Wigan's players following his side's 2-1 defeat at the hands of the relegation-threatened visitors on Monday.

Wenger said Wigan were "disrespectful" as he accused them of time-wasting after going up by a pair of early goals.

The Latics took the lead with a seventh-minute counter-attack that saw Franco di Santo outsprinting a pair of Arsenal defenders down the center of the park.

Just a minute later, Wigan put the Gunners in an even more difficult position when Jordi Gomez outscrambled the Arsenal defense for a loose ball in the six-yard area.

For the next 80 minutes, Arsenal dominated the ball. But Wigan created more clear chances on goal. In the end, Arsenal could only get one goal back and dropped their second game in the last four.

Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi received a yellow card for time-wasting in second half added time. But Wenger wanted much more.

The Arsenal manager refused to shake hands with Wigan manager Roberto Martinez after the match and carried his grudge into the postgame press conference.

"It is disrespectful to people who pay big money to watch the game," Wenger said of the alleged time-wasting by Wigan. "We are sorry we did not play well, but that the referees do not act on it is not right."

Al-Habsi was clearly stalling from early in the match. But his actions were no more extreme than any other goalkeeper who finds his side with a lead. His handful of fantastic saves against the Gunners were far more significant to the final outcome than the sloth with which he played goal kicks.

Ironically, Wenger concluded his time-wasting comments by noting, "I do not want to look for excuses."

For his part, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez dismissed the accusations saying, "I don't think we won because we were time-wasting; we won because we deserved it."

Arsenal find themselves five points ahead of Tottenham in the race for third position, although the Gunners have played one more league game.

Wigan are looking good odds to escape relegation as the win takes them five points clear of the drop zone.