London: Hugo Rodallega scored late in Wigan's 1-0 win at Tottenham on Saturday in a setback to Spurs' bid to finish in the top four of the Premier League for a second consecutive season.
Two days after being drawn to meet defending Champions League winner Inter Milan in Europe, Spurs lost to a team that had been beaten 4-0 by promoted Blackpool and 6-0 to Chelsea in its opening two home games.
Rodallega hit the winner when Spurs goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, making his first start since being involved in a serious motorcycle accident last season, let the ball squirm past him in the 80th minute.
"The type of performance we had today was really of a group of players really committed. They were prepared to give their lives for each other," Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said. "Spurs put a lot of pressure on in the second half and we didn't really look under any exposure. We were a team for once, and that allowed the football side to make a difference.
"There are many things that we need to improve. I think we need to be better on the ball. We can be a lot better than what we showed today."
Last season, Tottenham thrashed Wigan 9-1 at White Hart Lane but Spurs made a sluggish start Saturday, with Wigan defender hitting the crossbar from a knockdown by teammate Mauro Boselli following a corner in the eight minute.
Wigan defenders Antolin Alcaraz and Gohouri kept a tight rein on forwards Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch, who scored a hat trick on Wednesday in Spurs' 4-0 win over Swiss side Young Boys to reach the Champions League for the first time.
The visitors were pinned back in their half for most of the second half but, on one of the few forays upfield, Alcaraz missed the target from point-blank range after the linesman wrongly kept his flag down. Soon after, teammate Jordi Gomez volleyed over.
After Rodallega scored from Cudicini's error, Tottenham threw players forward in search of an equalizer. Tom Huddlestone and Defoe missed just wide, while Niko Kranjcar and Michael Dawson forced acrobatic saves from goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi.
"I saw a goalkeeper dominant. He always made the right decisions and when you've got that at the back, it allows the defenders to be confident," Martinez said of Ali Al Habsi, who is on loan from Bolton.
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