Ravaged by injury and illness, Frank Barlow's men went down against a resurgent Tottenham.
Latics pre-match plans were hugely disrupted as Jason Koumas and Emmerson Boyce were forced to pull out due to illness, and Antonio Valencia failed a fitness test.
That meant there were starts to Ryan Taylor, Josip Skoko and David Cotterill in a five man midfield.
England midfielder Jermaine Jenas did the damage and he was on form as he scored two goals within fourteen minutes to stun Latics.
The first came on twelve minutes as Robbie Keane made good work on the left flank before his teasing cross was perfect for Jenas to slot home from close range.
The former Newcastle man grabbed his second as he latched onto a Dimitar Berbatov long ball and rounded the helpless Chris Kirkland to dispatch the ball into the unguarded net.
Spurs gave Latics an uphill battle in the 36th minute when they scored a third. Once again, Berbatov was the provider, and his ball to Aaron Lennon was chested before the England winger sent a curling volley into the net from twenty yards.
Substitute Darren Bent increased the deficit in the 72nd minute who fired into the net after being set up by Jenas.
Paul Scharner saw his early twenty-five yard effort fly over the bar but Latics could have leveled after eighteen minutes as Tottenham's defensive mix-up almost allowed Bent to snatch a goal. Both Michael Dawson and Kaboul battled for the ball in an aerial fight but the on-loan striker couldn't capitalise on the error.
Barlow shuffled the pack towards the end of the first half we he brought on Antonie Sibierski to partner Bent up front.
In the second half, Latics improved and Bent saw long range efforts fly over the bar, whilst Sibierski had shots on target too.
At the other end of the pitch, Kirkland did well to stop a Lennon effort, but his 79th minute save certainly raised eyebrows. The former Liverpool shot stopper denied Berbatov, whose shot was pushed onto the bar.
Latics will now have a two week break from the Premier League before another trip to the capital when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. By then, Latics could have a new manager appointed.
LATICS: Kirkland; Melchiot (c), Granqvist, Bramble, Kilbane; Cotterill (Sibierski 39), Landzaat, Scharner, Skoko (Brown 64), Taylor; Bent.
UNUSED SUBS: Pollitt, Hall, Olembe.
BOOKING: Skoko, Scharner
SPURS: Robinson, Chimbonda, Lee, Dawson, Kaboul, Malbranque (Tainio 53), Zokora, Jenas, Lennon (Defoe 79), Berbatov, Keane (c) (Bent 66).
UNUSED SUBS: Archibald-Henville, Cerny.
REFEREE: Howard Webb
