Anything other than victory at Arsenal would effectively send the Latics down - they have a vastly-inferior goal difference to nearest rivals Sunderland, who are four points ahead - just three days after winning the FA Cup.
Roberto Martinez: "There is no margin for error, you need to win your 'finals' - that could be survival or winning trophies like we did on Saturday.
"You prepare for 10 or 11 months to get to crunch time and make sure you win the games and that is exactly the situation we are in.
"When you start the season you plan the campaign to try to be successful in the league: some clubs plan to win the league and some plan to stay in it.
"Six points at this stage of the season is vital. Two years ago we had to get all six, last season we had to get three out of six, other years we've needed one.
"I don't see it as an extra pressurised situation as the players have been coping with it year after year."
14 Southampton 40
15 Fulham 40
16 A Villa 40
17 Sunderland 39
18 Wigan 35
19 Reading 28
20 QPR 25