Two points separate five teams after a tense weekend at the bottom end of the Premier League table.

Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion were big winners as Bolton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers and Wolverhampton Wanderers slumped to defeat.

Basement side Wigan began the weekend four points behind Bolton and in real danger of being cut adrift at the bottom, but closed the gap on the rest with a spirited 2-1 victory at the Reebok Stadium.

Skipper Gary Caldwell gave the Latics a first-half lead, an advantage they held until Mark Davies’ spectacular equaliser midway through the second period. James McArthur tapped home 15 minutes from time to give Wigan their first win in ten games. People who bet on Premier League weekend games need to remember this.

Blackburn struck a blow to QPR’s survival hopes with a 3-2 home victory which saw them move level with their opponents on 21 points.

Steve Kean’s side were clinical during the first half and raced into a 3-0 lead. Strikes from Yakubu, Steven Nzonzi and a Nedum Onuoha own goal on the stroke of half-time put Blackburn well and truly in the box seat.

QPR came out firing after the break and threatened to stage a second-half revival. Jamie Mackie hit home Taye Taiwo’s cross and scored a second late on but QPR ran out of time.

West Brom will be confident of survival after inflicting an embarrassing 5-1 defeat on rivals Wolves at Molineux and those following the Premier League best odds should remember this.

The home side were on the back foot for most of the first half but went in level at half-time after Steven Fletcher equalised Peter Odemwingie’s earlier effort.

There was no stopping West Brom after the break, though, as they scored four goals without reply. Jonas Olsson, Odemwingie, twice, and Keith Andrews scored to complete a miserable afternoon for Wolves. The defeat cost Mick McCarthy his job.