Wigan stopper gets manager's vote of confidence

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez London - Arabstoday Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has given goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi the vote of confidence by claiming he one of the best in the league. The Oman international made errors in consecutive matches against Reading and Manchester City, leading to criticism from Latics fans. Speaking to reporters, Martinez defended the 30-year old: "Ali in my eyes is one of the best in this league. Sometimes you expect Ali to save the unstoppable and that's very unfair," he said. Martinez also suggested that Al-Habsi's failure to stop Mario Balotelli from scoring after blocking his initial effort and Gareth Barry's shot on Wednesday was not an error. "The shot from Gareth Barry was moving away a little bit and he came up with a world class save in the rebound but the unfortunate point is that the ball bounced straight into the striker's path. That's a little bit of misfortune," he explained. Al-Habsi joined Wigan last summer after a season-long loan move from Bolton. His impressive form has seen him gain recognition as one of the best shot stoppers in the Premier League. The 6ft 4in goalkeeper began his career at Al-Nasr, before making his name at Norwegian outfit Lyn Oslo.