Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce admits he thought they were going down earlier this season.

"We played Bolton three months ago - and when I was driving home after they beat us 4-1 I was thinking 'We are in danger of being cast adrift if we don't do something quickly'," said the Latics boss.

"The response has been terrific. The effort they have put in is the reason we have turned it around."

Confidence is visibly rising within the Wigan camp - and Bruce, whose side are now 13th but only three points clear of the relegation zone, is optimistic.

"If we keep playing we have got an outstanding chance of staying in the division," he said.

"That's 20 points we've taken from 15 games since I arrived. I've always been a great believer that if a club takes a point a game, then they stay up.

"We are ahead of schedule, and the signs are there that we are a decent team.

"At the moment we're looking difficult to beat, and touch wood that continues.

"It is going to be tight at the bottom of the Premier League. There are nine teams in it, so let's hope this point (against Arsenal) is the one that takes us clear."