An offside goal for Chelsea became a cruel twist of fate for Wigan Athletic and possibly Tottenham Hotspur after one of the biggest mistakes of the Premier League season had a knock-on effect at the top and bottom Saturday. Chelsea grabbed a 2-1 victory over Wigan thanks to the clearly offside strike by Branislav Ivanovic and a last-gasp Juan Mata winner as they boosted their push for a top-four finish and even the third automatic Champions League berth. Tottenham nudged up to third with a 0-0 draw at Sunderland, but Arsenal can move back above it with a point at home to second-placed Manchester City Sunday when leader Manchester United, five points clear on 76, hosts Queens Park Rangers. Wigan players surrounded the officials and manager Roberto Martinez later labeled the decision “horrific” and “disgusting” after Ivanovic's controversial 62nd-minute goal. Mohamed Diame leveled for the visitors, who matched their more illustrious opponents for long spells, but Mata netted to send the fifth-placed hosts three points behind Spurs while Wigan was left second from bottom on goal difference. Newcastle United, which won 2-0 at Swansea City Friday to continue its strong form, is level with Chelsea on 56 points in sixth place. Spurs have 59 points with Arsenal on 58. In the early kickoff, Sunderland and Spurs struggled to create clear-cut opportunities but the visitors felt aggrieved that Phil Bardsley and Michael Turner got away with handballs in the box, the first from a goalbound Emmanuel Adebayor header. Beleaguered Liverpool salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw with struggler Aston Villa having been behind to Chris Herd's 10th-minute goal after a mistake by goalkeeper Doni, standing in for the suspended Pepe Reina. Villa seemed set for a rare victory at Anfield but Luis Suarez equalized with an 82nd-minute header to save eighth-placed Liverpool from a seventh loss in eight league games. Third-bottom Blackburn Rovers lost 3-0 at former boss Roy Hodgson's West Bromwich Albion to confirm its mini-revival is over and Bolton Wanderers is only a point above the danger zone following Clint Dempsey's brace in a 3-0 home defeat by Fulham. Mid-table Norwich City enjoyed an entertaining 2-2 home draw with Everton, while basement side Wolverhampton Wanderers lost 2-1 at Stoke City in the late game to effectively stand seven points adrift of safety because of its poor goal difference. Celtic bags Scottish title Celtic won the Scottish Premier League title for the first time in four years with a 6-0 thrashing of Kilmarnock at Rugby Park Saturday. Neil Lennon's side needed one point from the match to end its long wait to be crowned Scottish champion and it did it in style, as Gary Hooper and Charlie Mulgrew both netted twice, with Glenn Loovens and Joe Ledley also on the scoresheet. It is the first title of Lennon's two-year reign at Parkhead, although some will always remember it as the season its arch-rival Rangers was deducted 10 points for going into administration.
