Newcastle’s bid for Champions League qualification suffered a reality check on Saturday as Wigan eased their relegation fears with a thumping 4-0 win over the Magpies.
Newcastle had dared to dream of winning a place in European football’s elite competition after moving into the top four of the Premier League last week with their sixth straight victory.
The Magpies’ surprise defeat saw Arsenal cement their grip on third place after battling to a 1-1 draw at Stoke.
The draw leaves the Gunners four points clear of fourth-placed Newcastle, and Arsene Wenger’s men will guarantee their entry to next season’s Champions League if they win their remaining games against Norwich and West Bromwich Albion.
Alan Pardew’s Newcastle were blown away in a devastating first half display by Wigan, who scored four unanswered goals at the DW Stadium to move three points clear of the drop zone with two games remaining.
Wigan raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour, Victor Moses scoring a quickfire brace in the 13th and 15th minutes.
Shaun Maloney added a third for the Latics on 36 minutes before Franco Di Santo made it 4-0 with a long-range effort on the stroke of halftime.
Stoke’s Peter Crouch headed his side into the lead on nine minutes before Arsenal’s newly-crowned Footballer of the Year Robin van Persie levelled on 15 minutes with his 35th goal of the season in all competitions.
With leaders Manchester United facing Manchester City on Monday, and Chelsea and Tottenham in action against QPR and Blackburn respectively on Sunday.
Bolton’s hopes of moving out of the bottom three were dashed after they could only draw 2-2 at Sunderland.
Meanwhile Aston Villa remain in the relegation mire after scrapping to a 0-0 draw in a nervy midlands derby with West Brom.
Villa, who remain only three points off the bottom three, were given a huge slice of luck after referee Mark Clattenburg failed to spot an apparent handball on the goal-line from defender Alan Hutton.
Elsewhere, Everton scored four goals for a second week running as they romped to a 4-0 win over Fulham at Goodison Park that kept David Moyes’ team in seventh place. Nikica Jelavic scored twice while Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill added one apiece in an easy win.
Liverpool recorded only their second win in seven games as Luis Suarez’s first hat-trick for the club helped them to a 3-0 win over Norwich.
The Uruguayan struck twice in the first half before clinching his treble with a magical 45-yard chip over John Ruddy as the Reds sealed only their fourth league win of 2012.
A bizarre game at the Liberty Stadium saw relegated Wolves fight back from 4-1 down to grab a 4-4 draw against Swansea.
