It's been another dramatic battle for survival for Wigan Athletic this season as Roberto Martinez's side yet again avoided the drop by the narrowest of margins.

It could have been so different before a ball had even been kicked as the Spaniard admirably resisted an offer from Aston Villa to instead remain at the DW Stadium.

A typically tense campaign ensued, but the Latics hit some sparkling form in the final stretch to secure their place in the top flight.

Sports Mole takes a look at yet another great escape for the Latics.

August

Surprisingly, Wigan started the season in unusually solid form as draws against Norwich and Swansea, along with a victory over QPR, gave them five points out of a possible nine in the opening month.

September:

Right on cue, the rot set in during September. Defeats against Manchester City, Everton and Spurs started an incredible eight-game losing streak in the league. They also slumped to a third-round Carling Cup loss at Crystal Palace.

October:

The Latics looked like they were in for another relegation battle come October when they were beaten by Aston Villa, Bolton, Newcastle and Fulham in what was a torrid month in the north west.

November:

Despite a defeat to Wolves and a draw at Blackburn, Wigan picked up only their second win of the season at the end of the month thanks to a 2-1 triumph at fellow strugglers Sunderland.

December:

Roberto Martinez's side had a galvanising Christmas as a win against West Brom was matched by impressive draws against Liverpool, Chelsea and Stoke. However, a 4-0 defeat at home to Arsenal and a 5-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester United showed that they were still a long way from safety.

January:

It was back to losing ways in the new year thanks to defeats against a rejuvenated Sunderland, Manchester City, QPR and Spurs. It got worse midway through the month as they were dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round with a 2-1 loss at League Two Swindon Town.

February:

There looked to be an upturn in fourtunes in February thanks to draws against Everton and Aston Villa, while a 2-1 victory at Bolton provided some hope in their struggles.

March:

Although they succumbed to a 2-1 loss to Swansea at the start of March, Wigan's charge for safety began with draws versus Norwich and West Brom. One of their most eye-catching results of the campaign came thanks to a shock 2-1 win at Liverpool, while victory over Stoke capped a fine month.

April:

Martinez's men really turned on the style in April. After cruelly being beaten 2-1 at Chelsea, Wigan threw a spanner in the Premier League title race when they beat Manchester United 1-0 at the DW. What came next was arguably even more unlikely as they outplayed Arsenal at the Emirates to win 2-1. Their survival hopes took a temporary blow thanks to a loss at Fulham, but they more than made amends a week later with a spectacular 4-0 victory over high-flying Newcastle.

May:

Wigan's survival was secured for another season during the first week of May with a 1-0 win against Blackburn. The result was enough to condemn Rovers to life in the Championship, while the Latics managed to keep their Premier League status once again. Almost typically, the campaign was concluded with a breathless 3-2 victory over Wolves.