Wigan yet again defeat Manchester City in FA Cup and progress to semi-final against Arsenal

WIGAN has stunned Manchester City for the second straight year in the FA Cup, this time winning 2-1 in the quarter-finals.

Wigan‘s James Perch celebrates scoring his team's second goal.

CHAMPIONSHIP side Wigan Athletic stunned Manchester City in the FA Cup for the second season running with a shock 2-1 quarter-final victory at a disbelieving Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

City, newly crowned League Cup winners, were bidding to avenge their 1-0 defeat in last season’s final, but instead it was the holders — managed by former City striker Uwe Rosler — who advanced to a last-four date with Arsenal.

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“Is this my greatest day in management? Probably,” Rosler, who played for City between 1994 and 1998, told BT Sport.

“This was my chance to partially replicate what (former Wigan manager) Roberto Martinez did last season.

“Overall I am so delighted. I am so happy for the chairman and the players.”

Jordi Gomez gave Wigan the lead with a 27th-minute penalty after Martin Demichelis fouled Marc Antoine-Fortune and James Perch made it 2-0 within seconds of kick-off in the second half.

Samir Nasri pulled a goal back for City with 22 minutes remaining, but the Championship side — relegated within days of last season’s final — withstood heavy pressure from the hosts to record another famous FA Cup win.

News_Image_File: Samir Nasri got City briefly back in contention.

“It’s disappointing because we cannot be eliminated from the FA Cup at home by Wigan,” said City manager Manuel Pellegrini, whose side will bid to overturn a 2-0 deficit at Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“We must go to Barcelona and try to continue in the Champions League, although it will be difficult.

“It’s important for a big team, when you have a setback, you have to react quickly.”

The Etihad was buoyant after City’s 3-1 win over Sunderland in last weekend’s League Cup final, but the home fans were silenced in the 27th minute when Wigan took the lead.

News_Image_File: Wigan boss Uwe Rosler, right, and his City counterpart, Manuel Pellegrini, on the touchline.

A neat turn took Fortune past Demichelis on the Wigan left and after the Argentine brought him down, Gomez sent goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon the wrong way from the penalty spot.

City’s frustration was evident, with Nasri booked for kicking the ball away, and Wigan extended their lead early in the second half when Perch stole in front of Gael Clichy to tuck in a low cross from James McArthur.

Pellegrini reacted by sending on James Milner, David Silva and Edin Dzeko, and the latter came within a whisker of equalising in the 64th minute with a header that hit the post.

The hosts continued to push, though, and four minutes later Nasri dragged them back into the tie with a left-foot shot from outside the box that skidded into the bottom-right corner.

City threw everything at Wigan in the closing stages, with Emmerson Boyce producing an extraordinary goal-line block to thwart Dzeko, but Wigan held on by the skin of their teeth.