Premier League Roundup: Wigan and Villa Claim Vital Wins in Relegation Battle

Wigan Athletic twice came from behind to claim a crucial 3-2 win at West Bromwich Albion in the battle to avoid the drop from the Premier League.

Aston Villa also gained three points with a late win at Norwich City to effectively seal their place in the top flight next season.

Tottenham needed a spectacular strike from a familiar match-winner to defeat Southampton while Arsenal defeated Queens Park Rangers, 1-0, at Loftus Road.

Newcastle kept a clean sheet at West Ham after their six-goal mauling by Liverpool last week, but the 0-0 draw was not enough to ease their relegation concerns.

Reading produced their best display of the season to win at Fulham, and Manchester City warmed up for the FA Cup Final next weekend with a 0-0 draw at Swansea.

Norwich City 1 Aston Villa 2

Gabriel Agbonlahor effectively sealed Aston Villa's place in the Premier League with his double in the 2-1 win at Norwich City.

The Villa striker opened the scoring 10 minutes into the second half, but Grant Holt equalised from the penalty spot in the 74th minute.

However, Agbonlahor grabbed a vital winner for Paul Lambert's side in the 89th minute of the match at Carrow Road.

Norwich dominated the first period, but Villa were closest in first-half injury time when Agbonlahor's cross was deflected on to the crossbar by Javier Garrido.

Villa emerged from the interval with a renewed energy and broke the deadlock in the 55th minute through Agbonlahor, who cut in from the right before sending the ball around Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn.

With 16 minutes remaining, Norwich pulled level from the penalty spot. Joe Bennett brought down Robert Snodgrass inside the area, and Holt slotted home his spot-kick.

However, Agbonlahor proved to be the key man again for Villa when he collected Ashley Westwood's through ball and drove it past Bunn in the Norwich goal to make it 2-1 to the visitors in the penultimate minute of the game.

West Bromwich Albion 2 Wigan Athletic 3

Wigan Athletic came from behind twice to defeat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at The Hawthorns and closed the gap on Sunderland at the foot of the table to just two points.

The Latics, who will face Manchester City in the FA Cup Final next weekend, fell behind to a Shane Long goal but struck back through Arouna Kone.

Gareth McAuley headed Albion back in front, but Wigan substitute James McArthur headed home a second leveller.

With 10 minutes left at The Hawthorns, Callum McManaman was on hand to fire home the winner for Wigan.

West Brom took the lead in the 29th minute when Long slotted home. Romelu Lukaku released Markus Rosenberg on the right. Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles hesitated to come for Rosenberg's ball, and Long was on hand to give the home side the lead.

In the 39th minute, Lukaku missed a good opportunity for Albion, but Wigan swept upfield through Jean Beausejour, who delivered a great cross from the left, and Kone leapt above McAuley to head home the equaliser from six yards out.

Five minutes after the interval, Albion took the lead again. Beausejour gave away a free-kick on the right. Graham Dorrans floated the ball over, and an unmarked McAuley headed downward and past Robles.

But Wigan are renowned for their battling qualities in the final throes of a season and, after being on the field for just 20 seconds as a substitute, McArthur produced a diving header to equalise.

With 10 minutes remaining, Wigan midfielder Shaun Maloney broke to the byline before pulling the ball back where McManaman was waiting to slam home to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.

McArthur proved to be crucial in the last play of the game when he headed off the line as Albion pushed for the equaliser.

West Ham United 0 Newcastle United 0

Newcastle were denied a crucial victory at West Ham by a controversial refereeing decision.

Alan Pardew's side claimed a goal in the 22nd minute when Yohan Cabaye found Papiss Cisse inside the area.

West Ham defender Winston Reid cleared the striker's scuffed shot off the line, but the Magpies were convinced it was over the line. However, match official Phil Dowd waved away their appeals, and television replays were inconclusive.

The point gained from the 0-0 draw at Upton Park leaves Newcastle facing a nervous end to the season with Wigan just three points behind and having a game in hand on the Magpies.

Newcastle goalkeeper Robbie Elliot, who was beaten six times by Liverpool last weekend, produced two great saves to deny Kevin Nolan while Andy Carroll also headed just wide for the Hammers.

Queens Park Rangers 0 Arsenal 1

Theo Walcott scored the quickest goal of the season after just 20 seconds to give Arsenal all three points at relegated Queens Park Rangers.

The England international took advantage of a misplaced pass early in the game at Loftus Road to move the Gunners above Chelsea into third place in the Premier League table.

QPR goalkeeper Rob Green produced two smart saves from Walcott during the game to keep the scoreline down for the home side.

But Rangers produced a much-improved display in the second half to make the game more of a contest than it had been in the opening 45 minutes.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Southampton 0

Gareth Bale again proved to be the difference for Tottenham as his excellent strike saw off the challenge of an impressive Southampton side at White Hart Lane.

The Wales international, who won the Players' Player, Young Player and the Football Writers' Player of the Year this week, settled the match in favour of a disappointing Tottenham side in the 86th minute of the game, which had been delayed by 30 minutes due to a traffic accident near the stadium.

Bale cut in from the right side and fired a beautiful strike beyond Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc with just four minutes remaining against his former club.

Rickie Lambert went closest for the Saints when he struck the post with a free-kick in the first period. The visitors deserved more for their efforts but are still four points off the drop zone and have played one more game than Wigan.

Swansea City 0 Manchester City 0

Edin Dzeko missed an open goal five minutes from time as Manchester City warmed up for next weekend's FA Cup Final against Wigan Athletic with a tame 0-0 draw at Swansea City.

The City striker miss-hit his shot completely with Michel Vorm's goal at his mercy after being found by a great ball from Pablo Zabaleta. 

Swansea were denied a penalty in the 40th minute when Matija Nastasic arrived late to a ball inside the area and caught Michu. But the referee waved away the credible appeals from Swansea players.

But there was little excitement to entertain the supporters in a disappointing match at the Liberty Stadium.

Fulham 2 Reading 4

Relegated Reading produced their best performance of the Premier League season to defeat Fulham 4-2 at Craven Cottage.

Hal Robson-Kanu scored twice before Adam le Fondre and Jem Karacan added a goal each. Bryan Ruiz scored both of Fulham's goals.

Robson-Kanu opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute. The striker was brought down inside the area by Sascha Riether and picked himself up to score from the penalty spot.

The Reading striker was again on the mark in the 62nd minute. Moments after Dimitar Berbatov was denied a penalty, the Royals raced upfield, and a Garath McCleary shot deflected off a defender and into the path of Robson-Kanu, who cut inside and curled a shot past Mark Schwarzer.

Eight minutes later, Fulham pulled a goal back when Ruiz played a neat one-two with Hugo Rodallega before sending the ball beyond Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

But this was a Reading display which flew in the face of the form which saw them relegated last weekend, and le Fondre opened up a 3-1 lead in the 75th minute when he held off his marker after collecting Jem Karacan's pass and fired past Schwarzer.

That lead lasted just two minutes, though, when striker Ruiz headed home a cross from Alex Kacaniklic.

Reading had only scored once in their last four Premier League games but turned that statistic on its head with their fourth in one game when Karacan fired past Schwarzer.