Wigan poised to produce another Great Escape from relegation

As nerves jangled from the north-east to East Anglia, Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez maintained an almost surreal air of calm amid the stresses of the struggle for Premier League survival.Martinez's history at this stage of the season suggests it would be no surprise to see him arrive at his media briefing in a straitjacket, be hurled into a container of water and have himself free in seconds. It is an act he has seemingly spent years perfecting.He bristled slightly at the suggestion Wigan are escape artists after a 3-2 win at West Bromwich Albion that revived hopes of maintaining a top-flight status that was under serious threat at various stages of a pulsating afternoon at The Hawthorns.This is surely what they are. If Wigan were not they would break the habit of a Premier League lifetime that leaves their supporters knee deep in chewed fingernails every They were at it again here with a performance that was a reflection of the composed approach of their manager. It was a victory that carried all the hallmarks of a team battle-hardened in this high-pressure environment.So as Martinez smiled his way through his post-match news conference, Norwich City were in the process of cancelling their end-of-season dinner  to focus minds on their growing relegation fears, while Newcastle United's point at West Ham United suddenly looked a little less satisfactory.Paolo Di Canio's Sunderland now have even more riding on their meeting with Stoke City at the Stadium of Light on Monday - while Wigan will be out of the bottom three if they beat Swansea City at home 24 hours later.QPR and Reading have gone and the dash for the line marked "safety" is threatening to be chaotic. Wigan's form over this particular course and distance means they will be written off at your peril.The likes of Sunderland, Newcastle, Norwich and even Southampton can see Wigan in their rear view mirror - and history tells us they should be concerned about their yearly, successful overtaking manoeuvre.Martinez's reputation has been built on this sort of situation, although there is a case to suggest that if he is the great alchemist which his supporters believe he is, he would have Wigan safe long before the final three games of the season instead of embarking on this tortuous route every year.