Wigan Athletic

Swansea City V Wigan Athletic

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 20th August 2011; 15:00 GMT
Venue: Liberty Stadium

Preview - The Barclay’s Premier League enters uncharted territory this weekend – Wales, to be more precise – with the city of Swansea set to welcome top-flight football back to its shores for the first time since 1983, as Wigan Athletic – survival specialists, after somehow evading the clutches of relegation for a sixth successive term back in May – look to spoil what is set to be one helluva party atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium.

On Monday, Swansea were handed a thorough reminder of what the Premier League is all about, after they were thumped 4-0 by Manchester City at Eastlands. But the final score didn’t tell the whole story. Brendan Rodgers’ men more than held their own for the best part of an hour, which by that time the score was still deadlocked at 0-0, and his side also enjoyed more of the ball – a remarkable 57% of possession in fact, while no team on the opening weekend completed more successful passes.

So it was easy to see why so many dubbed Swansea the Barcelona of the Championship last season, as my word don’t they retain possession well. But it counts for very little if you don’t use the ball to good affect, a concept the Welsh side struggled to get to grips with against Man City. But I do hope they didn’t leave Manchester discouraged; after all, they were up against the best defence in the division. One of the worst, in actual fact, is their opponents on Saturday, Wigan, a team who are at their most vulnerable away from home!

Wigan are hardly lambs to the slaughter, but the statistics behind them don’t do them any favours. Only relegated Birmingham located the back of the net fewer times over the course of last season than Wigan (40), who, while they did end the season with the ninth best away record: W4 D7 L9 (registering 19 points from a possible 57), won only four times on their travels; just one more than they managed in 2009/2010.

Furthermore, Swansea were imperious at their Liberty Stadium en route to promotion. No one, not even champions QPR, racked up more wins (15) or registered more points (50 from 69 on offer) at home than the Swans, who conceded just eleven times in Wales and haven’t lost a league match in their own backyard since February, winning six of their last eight in a highly-impressive unbeaten sequence that Wigan must show the utmost respect.

Betting - An historic day for Welsh football, but it’s crucial Swansea don’t let the occasion and all the euphoria surrounding the first ever Barclay’s Premier League match to be played in Wales get the better of them.

There won’t be an empty seat inside what was a fortress for them last season, their 20,000 capacity Liberty Stadium, and it’s crucial that they use all that positive energy to produce a whirlwind of a performance in what is unquestionably one of their most significant fixtures of the entire season, simply because it’s one of probably just a handful they have every chance of winning. Heck, they’re even favourites!

Wigan, though, are hoping their vast levels of Premiership experience will count for a lot in front of a partisan crowd that will get right behind the home side. They will, however, need to defy the odds.

Swansea Fact: The Swans are unbeaten in their last eight home league games, scoring 22 goals in that spell; an average of nearly three-a-game. PaddyPower go 4/1 on the Welsh side hitting the net a minimum of three times!

Wigan Fact: Wigan won four times on the road last season, two of which were by a 1-0 scoreline, including their very first away fixture at Tottenham. The Latics are 9/1 with StanJames to sneak another 1-0 win!

Match Odds:

Swansea 6/5 – PaddyPower
Draw 12/5 – SkyBet
Wigan 13/5 – Bet365

Verdict - The final score at Eastlands certainly didn’t do them any favours, however, I was encouraged by what I saw from Swansea on Monday. Every one of their players was comfortable on the ball; I don’t remember too many passes going astray in the middle of the park, while they were very tidy at the back as well, with Dutch goalkeeper Michel Vorn in particular excelling. Unfortunately the space and time Scott Sinclair and Lloyd Dyer were afforded in the Championship simply wasn’t there, as was to be expected against the leanest defence in the top-flight, but that shouldn’t be the case on Saturday against a Wigan side who definitely are not renowned for their defensive organisation.

I do worry for Wigan ahead of their visit to a sold out Liberty Stadium. The home side will keep possession for sustained periods and it’s imperative Roberto Martinez drills it into his team not to lose their shape or concentration, and certainly not to waste possession when they do manage to get hold of it. A tricky assignment but one which certainly isn’t beyond them, especially if Victor Moses is as how as he was last weekend.

A tough call this one, mainly because the occasion may well get to Swansea in a fixture they are hotly tipped to win. Plus, Wigan have slipped under the radar before and may well do so again. In the end, I had to base my decision on what I’ve witnessed so far.

Match Prediction: Swansea City WIN – 6/5 PaddyPower
Value Bet: Scott Sinclair First Goalscorer – 6/1 VictorChandler

Tottenham Hotspur

Manager: Harry Redknapp
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Star Man: Luka Modric
2010-2011 Position: 5th

Summer Transfer Activity (Notable Transfers)

Arrivals – Brad Friedel (Aston Villa)

Departures – Steven Caulkner (Swansea; Loan), Kyle Naughton (Norwich; Loan), Jamie O’Hara (Wolves), Jonathan Woodgate (Stoke)

Overview: After failing to finish inside the top-four for a second successive season, with it missing out on Champions League football, fans were hoping White Hart Lane would once again be a hive of activity over the summer. It has been anything but. At the time of publishing, goalkeeper Brad Friedel is Harry Redknapp’s solitary signing of the entire summer, an experienced keeper who has signed on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers, probably as cover for the usually error-prone Heurelho Gomes.

Despite the lack of new faces at the club, though, Harry Redknapp still firmly believes that his current crop are capable of mounting a title challenge. We think he’s mad! Spurs only just managed to pip a slow-starting Liverpool to fifth, and they’ve strengthened substantially during the summer, but yet arch rivals Arsenal ended the term eight-points above them in fourth while champions United were a resounding 18-points better than Redknapp’s charges.

Several quality additions are needed before Spurs are even considered title contenders, in my humble opinion, especially in their problem area, up front. I’m not even sure how competitive they’ll be in this intriguing battle for the Champions League places.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that one of their star performers over the last two seasons will even be a Spurs player come September, with Luka Modric eager to switch allegiances and join Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before the transfer window slams shut. Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart are two who could fall into the category of ‘world-class’, but there are question marks hanging over the pair of them after their form declined dramatically in the closing stages of last season.

You have to admire the club’s ambition, however Spurs could be found wanting over the forthcoming season, as several of their rivals have added to their ranks since the 2010-2011 season came to a head, in contrast to what’s been going on at Tottenham, which is basically not a lot.

TOTTENHAM TOP-FOUR FINISH: 7/2 BWIN

West Bromwich Albion

Manager: Roy Hodgson
Stadium: The Hawthorns
Star Man: Peter Odemwingie
2010-2011 Position: 11th

Summer Transfer Activity

Arrivals – Ben Foster, Billy Jones, Gareth McAuley

Departures – Scott Carson, Abdoulaye Meite, Boaz Myhill (Loan), Borja Valero, Gianni Zuiverloon

Overview: One of the more remarkable sights last season was Roy Hodgson accepting the vacant manager’s job at The Hawthorns, just months after he was sacked by Liverpool. However, it was a move which West Brom bore fruit from, as the 63-year-old instantly transformed the team’s fortunes on the pitch; he made the Baggies an incredibly organised, resolute outfit to play against, and in turn successfully kept them in the division with games and points to spare.

Now fans, after seeing the amazing turnaround last season, are in optimistic mood ahead of the new season, with the hope being that West Brom can go one better than their 11th-place finish of last season and finally break into the top-half. If their form in 2011-2012 is anything like it was during Hodgson’s fourteen games in charge last season, when the Baggies lost just two of fourteen, then a top-ten finish isn’t beyond the realms of possibility – especially as Hodgson has been able to add to his squad over the summer.

Billy Jones (Preston), Gareth McAuley (Ipswich) and Zoltan Gera (Fulham) all arrived on free transfers, while Ben Foster will be an astute signing on a season-long loan from Birmingham City. In the opposite direction went Borja Valero, Boaz Myhill, Gianni Zuiverloon and former Number. 1 Scott Carson.

Although supporters can’t help but get a little excited with how they finished the previous season, survival is once again the club’s top priority.

WEST BROM TO BE RELEGATED: 5/1 SKYBET

Wigan Athletic

Manager: Roberto Martinez
Stadium: DW Stadium
Star Man: Hugo Rodallega
2010-2011 Position: 16th

Summer Transfer Activity

Arrivals – Ali Al Habsi (Bolton)

Departures – Steven Caldwell, Charles N’Zogbia (Aston Villa)

Overview: The Latics are set to embark on their seventh consecutive season in the Premier League, but once again expectation levels around Wigan are low following a typically quiet summer in Greater Manchester in which Roberto Martinez staying on as manager was undoubtedly the club’s biggest coup.

A stunning victory away at Stoke on the final day of the season ensured  Wigan prolonged their stay in the Barclay’s Premier League. Unfortunately, Martinez is an outstanding player down after Charles N’Zogbia finally got his wish – a move away from The DW. The talented French winger joined Aston Villa for £9.5M in a move which could favour both parties, provided the Wigan manager finds a suitable replacement with the money gained, something he hasn’t yet been able to achieve.

Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, who was voted Player of the Season by both his peers and the Wigan fans for his superb displays between the sticks while on loan at the club last season, is Wigan’s only summer signing thus far.

Robert Martinez rejected a proposed move to Aston Villa so he could stay on at The DW, a bold decision which could be seen as suicidal considering Wigan will once again have their work cut out staying up. However, the funds are now in place for the Spaniard to bolster his ranks before the window closes at the end of the month, and if he could find a few goalscorer – a feat easier said than done – then Wigan could fare better than many people envisage.

WIGAN TO BE RELEGATED: 2/1 WILLIAMHILL

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manager: Mick McCarthy
Stadium: Molineux
Star Man: Steven Fletcher
2010-2011 Position: 17th

Summer Transfer Activity

Arrivals – Jamie O’Hara (Tottenham), Roger Johnson, Dorus de Vries (Swansea)

Departures – Adrianno Basso, Greg Halford, Marcus Hahnemann, Carl Ikeme (Loan), David Jones, Steven Mouyokolo

Overview: Words could not describe the emotions that engulfed Molineux on the final day of last season, when Wolves somehow evaded the clutches of relegation courtesy of Roman Pavlyuchenko’s stoppage-time winner at White Hart Lane as Tottenham recorded a 2-1 win over Birmingham City, saving Wolves’ bacon in the process as Mick McCarthy’s men stayed up by a single point. Now the Midlands club are set to do it all over again in the most exciting league in Europe.

An ‘enigma’ was what Wolves were during last season; lousy against their relegation rivals but truly exceptional against the league’s elite. Victories over Chelsea and Manchester United at Molineux were something the supporters will never forgot, but their 1-0 win away at Anfield against Liverpool was truly remarkable. So it really is amazing that Wolves only just managed to fend off relegation by a solitary point, although it served as a massive eye-opener for Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager who urgently needs to address his side’s lack of consistency if the club are to avoid relegation for a third straight season.

Reinforcements have arrived in the form of centre-half Roger Johnson and midfielder Jamie O’Hara, although the latter did spend the second half of last season at Molienux on loan. I suspect one or two more could join before the end of the transfer window.

Wolves amassed a handsome tally of 40-points during 2010-2011 and while that was only just enough to keep them in the division last season, I would bet my house on as many points being more than enough on this occasion.

WOLVES TO BE RELEGATED: 3/1 BET365

Stoke City V Wigan Athletic

Date & Kick-Off: Sunday, 22 May 2011 – 16:00 (GMT)
Venue: Brittania Stadium

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Preview

The Potters had their moment in the spotlight, and they blew it. Now it’s the turn of Wigan Athletic to get their name up in lights. Well… sort of.

Sunday’s final game of the season at fortress Brittania – it is where its occupants have not lost a single league fixture in 2011 – sees last week’s losing FA Cup finalists Stoke entertain relegation threatened Wigan in a fixture which even were the visitors to prevail in, wouldn’t necessarily assure them of safety.

The Latics go into the game on the back of last week’s breathtaking 3-2 win over West Ham in Greater Manchester, which relegated Avram Grant’s Hammers on the spot, but still languishing in the relegation zone, although by virtue of a slightly inferior goal difference and very little else. What it all means is Wigan must get a result away at Stoke else run the risk of relegation back to the nPower Championship, even though earning all three-points may still be in vein.

Having said all that, Wigan could lose 1-0 on ‘Survival Sunday’ and still end up avoiding the drop should Blackpool (18th) and Birmingham (17th) be on the receiving end of drubbings away at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, which is very much a possibility bearing in mind the form and stature of the four teams in question. 

So it promises to be a thrilling final day at the bottom of the table. However, we shouldn’t discount those who have an important say in matters, and Stoke will certainly play a prominent part on Sunday.

Just eight days after losing the biggest match in their history – losing 1-0 to Manchester City in the final of the 2010/2011 FA Cup – Stoke return home for the first time, to the Brittania Stadium that is, and will be greeted by their proud supporters who are waiting to congratulate the team for another highly successful campaign.

Making the final of the FA Cup for the very first time was a remarkable achievement for the club. Even more impressive is how for the third season running, Tony Pulis’s men aren’t even involved in matters at the foot of the table in the closing stages of the term, with a fourth consecutive spell in the top-flight of English Football already in the bag.

So irrespective of what happened at Wembley a week previous, when Stoke battled gamely and fought tooth-and-nail with Manchester City but ultimately came up a little short, it has been a season to savour for the supporters who will once again turn out in vast numbers on Sunday to say their goodbyes. Knowing Tony Pulis like I do, he won’t want to sign out on a sour note, not at home in front of their hardened supporters.

Tony Pulis does have a tough job on his hands, though, galvanising a demoralised dressing room which, to be frank, cannot wait to jet off on their holidays after a week they’d rather forget in the short-term. A 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup final was a bitter enough pill to swallow but to succumb to a 3-0 loss to the very same opponent just three days later will have knocked the stuffing right of them, and that takes some doing.

The Potters were never at the races on Tuesday, when Man City basically trampled all over them at Eastlands, and so it remains to be seen which Stoke side actually turn up, or who for that matter. Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington struggled to make last week’s final through injury but missed the trip to Manchester several days later. So there’s two doubtful players already, key ones at that. In-form duo Jermaine Pennant and Kenwyn Jones are also carrying knocks.

On the bright side, for all you anti-Wigan folk out there this weekend, Stoke are unbeaten at home in the league throughout the whole of 2011 thus far, winning six of eight at their Brittania Stadium, which is expected to be a sell-out on Sunday.

Wigan, though, have been in this very situation before, having to win on the final day to stay up, and doing just that away at Sheffield United back in 2007. Those Latics seem to have a knack of just doing enough as well, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised were they to come through Sunday’s drama unscathed… again!

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Form

Stoke – DWDWL (Stoke 3-0 Wolves, Blackpool 0-0 Stoke, Stoke 3-1 Arsenal, Man City 1-0 Stoke, Man City 3-0 Stoke)

Wigan – WLDDW (Blackpool 1-3 Wigan, Sunderland 4-2 Wigan, Wigan 1-1 Everton, Aston Villa 1-1 Wigan, Wigan 3-2 West Ham)

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Head-to-Head (Premiership)

Stoke wins: 1
Draws: 4
Wigan wins: 0

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: Wigan 2-2 Stoke
2009/2010: Wigan 1-1 Stoke
2009/2010: Stoke 2-2 Wigan
2008/2009: Stoke 2-0 Wigan
2008/2009: Wigan 0-0 Stoke

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Streaks & Trends

All but one of the five Premiership meetings have ended in a draw, including last season’s encounter at the Brittania Stadium (2-2).

Stoke were unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions but have now suffered back-to-back defeats, both against Manchester City.

The Potters, though, remain unbeaten at their Brittania Stadium in the league for eight games (W6 D2 L0).

Only Chelsea and Sunderland have scored first half goals against Stoke at the Brittania Stadium in 2011 (eight games).

The Latics haven’t won back-to-back games in the Premier League since March 2009, over two years ago.

Wigan are now without defeat for three games, but have only won one of their previous nine away from home (W1 D4 L4).

Charles N’Zogbia has five goals in as many games, scoring Wigan‘s first goal in each of their last three league fixtures.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Match Prediction: Wigan Athletic to WIN – 2.50 VictorChandler

Throughout their six-year tenure in the Barclay’s Premier League, Wigan have made a habit of surviving by the skin of their teeth, by grounding out important points in a sporadic fashion. We’ve seen plenty of that this season as well, with last week’s stunning comeback victory against West Ham proof of this, and in any other season they’d have survived. But after all their exertions at the DW last week, do the Latics have anything left in their locker to give on ‘Survival Sunday’ – when at the very end of another mentally draining and absorbing campaign, it looks likely to come down to survival of the fittest?

I’m a big fan of Wigan manager Roberto Martinez and his footballing philosophy, so I’ll be a Latics supporter this weekend. A trip to Stoke at any other time in the season would be daunting, but Wigan couldn’t of wished for a more ample time to tackle Tony Pulis’ robust Potters at the Brittania, immediately after back-to-back defeats, one of which was a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss in the final of the FA Cup, which clearly had an adverse effect on morale as just three days later Stoke were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Manchester City, again, at Eastlands.

Stoke’s demeanour in Manchester during the week was a tell-tale sign that Tony Pulis has a dejected group of players at his disposal, possibly even depleted. I have no doubt he’ll do his best to rally the troops so that the fans can catch a final glimpse of his team in all their glory, but I fear the players have gone mentally. In stark contrast, Wigan should be fired up for Sunday and if they begin proceedings where they left off against West Ham, which was storming back from 2-0 down to score three second-half goals at a time when their backs were well and truly up against the wall, then Wigan could overawe Stoke.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Match Odds

Stoke City – 2.88 BetFred
Draw – 3.60 Bet365
Wigan Athletic – 2.50 VictorChandler

Wigan Athletic V West Ham United

Date & Kick-Off: Sunday, 15 May 2011 – 16:00 (GMT)
Venue: DW Stadium

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Preview

Just 24 hours earlier, a champion will more than likely be crowned, with Manchester United set to clinch their 19th English league title on Saturday. In contrast, Sunday could see the first of three relegations, with West Ham United’s tenure in the Barclay’s Premier League hanging by the slimmest of threads – four-points adrift of safety with only two matches left to play – and defeat for Avram Grant’s side would confirm their exclusion from next season’s top-flight.

‘Now or Never’ – Expect all the clichés in the book to worm their way out on Sunday as Wigan Athletic and West Ham United do battle in the most significant relegation six-pointer of the season.

The onus is well and truly on the visitors however, who would be relegated should they register no points from their visit to the DW Stadium in Greater Manchester. A point wouldn’t be ideal either, as that could also relegate them should results elsewhere not go in their favour. So it really is a must-win clash for the Hammers, not that ‘winning’ has been their forte in recent weeks.

Their inability to secure maximum points in recent league assignment has contributed to their current demise, with West Ham having taken just two points from a possible 21 during a seven-match dour spell which has seen the Hammers go over two months without winning. But they couldn’t have come any closer to ending the drought than last Saturday, when creating a host of glorious openings at home to fellow survival hopefuls Blackburn Rovers but only converting one in a 1-1 draw – Carton Cole and Robbie Keane the main culprits – as Grant’s men remained rooted to the bottom of the league.

So whereas the pressure on West Ham has intensified since their failure to take all three-points from their clash with Blackburn at Upton Park, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez believes his team can have a more relaxed approach, that despite sitting just one place above the Hammers in the table.

The Latics reside in 19th, three-points above rock-bottom West Ham but just one point shy of safety meaning victory for them, what would be just their fifth at the DW Stadium all season, could see them leap out of the relegation places with only one game to go.

And Martinez’s men face an awkward trip to The Brittania Stadium on the last day, and so points in that particular fixture are certainly not a given – so while Martinez has done his best to deflect the pressure onto his opposite number, realistically this is Wigan’s easiest remaining fixture and undoubtedly a window of opportunity for them.

Performances of late have certainly been encouraging, though, for the Wigan boss. His team bossed proceedings at home to Everton two weeks ago while they were plucky away to Aston Villa eight-day previous, earning 1-1 draws in two tricky fixtures. Crucially, star man Charles N’Zogbia has stepped up to the plate in recent weeks, scoring in Wigan’s last two matches, and with this forward three of N’Zogbia, Victor Moses and Hugo Rodallega combining to decent affect of late, Wigan arguably stand a greater chance of coming out on top in this mammoth encounter, against a West Ham team who are desperately aiming to avoid a fourth consecutive away defeat this weekend.

Meanwhile, West Ham are so heavily reliant on their inspirational skipper. Scott Parker has reportedly returned to training but is not guaranteed to start Sunday’s ‘make or break’ visit to the DW, though centre-back Matthew Upson will return to shore up the defence. Mark Noble is out for the remainder of the term meaning Thomas Hitlzsperger will continue in the midfield, the German scoring the equaliser last weekend in the 1-1 home draw with Blackburn although some feel he could and should be doing more, especially as he posses one of the most powerful left-foots in the game.

Remaining games:

Wigan tackle Stoke City away while West Ham entertain Sunderland at Upton Park on the final day.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Form

Wigan – LWLDD (Chelsea 1-0 Wigan, Blackpool 1-3 Wigan, Sunderland 4-2 Wigan, Wigan 1-1 Everton, Aston Villa 1-1 Everton)

West Ham – LLLLD (Bolton 3-0 West Ham, West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa, Chelsea 3-0 West Ham, Man City 2-1 West Ham, West Ham 1-1 Blackburn)

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Head-to-Head

Wigan wins: 4
Draws: 1
West Ham wins: 6

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: West Ham 3-1 Wigan
2009/2010: West Ham 3-2 Wigan
2009/2010: Wigan 1-0 West Ham
2008/2009: Wigan 0-1 West Ham
2008/2009: West Ham 2-1 Wigan
2007/2008: Wigan 1-0 West Ham
2007/2008: West Ham 1-1 Wigan
2006/2007: Wigan 0-3 West Ham
2006/2007: West Ham 0-2 Wigan

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Streaks & Trends

West Ham have won four of the previous five encounters with Wigan Athletic.

Wigan have won two of the five Premiership meetings in Greater Manchester (W2 D0 L3), winning both by a 1-0 scoreline.

Only Blackpool (17) have registered fewer points at home this season than Wigan (20), though no side has scored fewer goals on home soil than the Latics (19).

West Ham are without a win in seven, drawing two and losing five.

Furthermore, Avram Grant’s men will be aiming to avoid a fourth consecutive away defeat on Sunday, whilst also trying to better a dismal away record of W2 D7 L9.

Scott Parker has scored in his last two appearances against Wigan, though both were at Upton Park.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Value Bets

Scott Parker to Score @ 6.50 SkyBet

The West Ham midfielder scored the last goal in a 3-2 victory over Wigan at Upton Park last season which confirmed West Ham’s participation in the current term (2010/2011). The England international has also scored in his last two appearances against the Latics.

Wigan to WIN 1-0 + Hugo Rodallega First Goalscorer @ 29.00 PaddyPower

Wigan have scored exactly one goal on seven occasions at home this season, and more times than not it is Hugo Rodeallega the scorer. A scorecast combining the two looks a cracking shout.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Match Prediction: Wigan Athletic to WIN – 2.20 BetFred

I haven’t seen a great deal of late to suggest West Ham are about to put up a fight for their Premiership status. They should have beaten Blackburn at home last Saturday – they created more than enough chances to put Rovers to bed – but ended up with a disappointing draw which has left them rock-bottom of the league and in the unnerving knowledge that anything less than a win this Sunday would leave them exposed to the drop.

Some teams thrive off this type of situations; backs against the walls and all that, but you don’t get that feeling with West Ham. For starters, Avram Grant doesn’t fill me with confidence. Secondly, Scott Parker is one of a select few fighters in their squad and if he doesn’t make the team-sheet then the writing is well and truly on the wall, in my honest opinion – especially as Wigan have caught the eye of late with their sparkling displays against Everton and Aston Villa, matches where their quick and tricky forward trio of N’Zogbia, Moses and Rodallega caused numerous problems.

My biggest concern of all is should West Ham go a goal down, as then every single player, and supporter, would be well aware of severe consequences that awaits them unless they dig deep and find a response – and without Parker I wouldn’t rate their chances of mounting a winning recovery.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Match Odds

Wigan Athletic – 2.20 BetFred
Draw – 3.40 PaddyPower
West Ham – 3.50 Bet365

Aston Villa V Wigan Athletic

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 7 May 2011 – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: Villa Park

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – – – – – -

Preview

After a dismal season which has centred mainly around survival, the blame game has already started at Villa Park. The fans believe the current manager, Gerard Houllier, is to blame – the Frenchman masterminding just eight wins from his thirty league games in charge of pretty much the same Villa side, in terms of personnel, which pushed Tottenham and Man City close for Champions League qualification last season but ultimately had to settle for Europa League football. The board, however, are of the opinion that they should be the ones whom the brunt of the criticism falls upon.

While the finger pointing exercise continues at Aston Villa, it’s clear that drastic changes are needed in the summer, possibly even a major overhaul of the first-team squad, if the club are to return to top-six contention.

Houllier, who is now out of hospital but is unlikely to return to the touchline any time soon, looks set to be the first big name out of the door, with a combination of poor results and rumours of dressing room unrest valid enough reasons for the board to call time prematurely on the former Liverpool tactician’s reign as manager.

High-profile players are also rumoured to be wanting away from Villa Park, with Ashley Young unlikely to sign a new contract while Stewart Downing’s excellent performances this season have caught the eye of many potential suitors. In the short term, and by that I mean Villa’s final three games of the season, this should be a positive, as it will mean some individuals possibly playing for their careers elsewhere, putting themselves on the market you might say, but the long-term future and stability of Aston Villa is uncertain.

Another club whose future is still up in the air is Wigan Athletic. The Latics are battling for their life’s down near the foot of the table – third from bottom but level on points with Blackpool, who occupy the nearest position of safety – and simply must churn out a result of some sort from this weekend’s trek to the Midlands if they’re to enhance their chances of avoiding the drop.

The omens are good, though, for Wigan, who are without a win in two after a 4-2 defeat at Sunderland and a 1-1 draw at home to Everton last Saturday. In their five previous Premiership encounters with Aston Villa at Villa Park, Wigan are yet to lose, recording three wins and a couple of draws. A point wouldn’t be drastic, however. Heck, had this been the third game of the season as opposed to third-last, a point would have been a fantastic outcome. However, Wigan require victories if they’re to avoid relying on others in and around them slipping up elsewhere in order to prolong their stay in the divison.

The bad news for travelling fans is Wigan’s abysmal away record since the turn of the year, with the Latics having managed a miserly one win from eight away fixtures in 2011. That said, Roberto Martinez’s troops have battled gamely at some tough venues this season, drawing with the likes of Bolton, Everton and Liverpool, while they impressively beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in their very first outing of the season.

Charles N’Zogbia, who has excelled in recent weeks, should recover in time to take his place in the starting XI following a dead leg he picked up in the 1-1 draw with Everton last weekend, in which he opened the scoring with some lovely improvised play before calmly picking out his spot. The French winger has also scored the majority of his league goals this season away from home, so he could be the catalyst for another huge result at Villa Park for Wigan, who have been victorious on their last two visits to the Midlands when faced with Aston Villa.

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – – – – – -

Form & Last Result

Aston Villa – DWWDL (Everton 2-2 Aston Villa, Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle, West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa, Aston Villa 1-1 Stoke City, West Brom 2-1 Aston Villa)

Despite taking an early lead and spending much of the second half with a numerical advantage, Aston Villa somehow lost 2-1 at The Hawthorns as the Villains suffered their first ever defeat at the hands of local rivals West Brom in the Premier League. In the process, Villa’s four-match unbeaten run came crashing to an end.

Wigan Athletic – DLWLD (Wigan 0-0 Tottenham, Chelsea 1-0 Wigan, Blackpool 1-3 Wigan, Sunderland 4-2 Wigan, Wigan 1-1 Everton)

The Latics were in a charitable mood last weekend at home to Everton, with Charles N’Zogbia and Hugo Rodallega, arguably the club’s most valuable assets, certainly from an attacking perspective, gifting the Toffees two penalties. Fortunately for Wigan boss Roberto Martinez, his side were only made to pay on one occasion, thanks to a superb save from Ali Al-Habsi to deny Mikel Arteta from the spot on the first occasion. The on-loan goalkeeper could do nothing about Leighton Baines’ well-drilled penalty in the second half however, which cancelled out N’Zogbia’s impressive opener.

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – – – – – -

Head-to-Head (Premiership)

Aston Villa wins: 4
Draws: 3
Wigan Athletic wins: 4

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: Wigan 1-2 Aston Villa
2009/2010: Wigan 1-2 Aston Villa
2009/2010: Aston Villa 0-2 Wigan
2008/2009: Aston Villa 0-0 Wigan
2008/2009: Wigan 0-4 Aston Villa
2007/2008: Aston Villa 0-2 Wigan
2007/2008: Wigan 1-2 Aston Villa
2006/2007: Aston Villa 1-1 Wigan
2006/2007: Wigan 0-0 Aston Villa

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – – – – – -

Match Prediction: Draw – 3.60 Bet365

Villa should be safe from the drop on 41-points, and for a team which has so often been criticised for their lack of heart and endeavour in games this season, I certainly wouldn’t want to be backing them at such slim odds.

With Wigan, however, you know exactly what you’re getting for your money; a team renowned for their hit and miss nature but also a side who can play some beautiful, crisp football at times. Charles N’Zogbia has looked lively in recent weeks and with his team’s need for points of an urgent nature, the Latics should be the hungrier of the two sides and that should go some way to cancelling out Villa’s attacking prowess, not that they make the most of their talented forward set-up.

A hard-fought point for Wigan here, another disappointing result at home for Villa who have only managed two goals in their last three league matches at Villa Park.

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – – – – – -

Value Bets

Wigan Athletic +0.5 AH @ 2.08 Bet365

In the five previous Premier League encounters between the two sides at Villa Park, Wigan are yet to lose recording three wins and two draws.

Wigan Athletic to WIN 2-0 (Correct Score) @ 29.00 StanJames

On the three occasions that Wigan have beaten Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Premier League, all were by a 2-0 scoreline, including the last two encounters.

Wigan Athletic to Keep a Clean Sheet @ 6.00 Coral

Aston Villa have drawn a blank in each of their previous three home games with Wigan, and in four of their five home Premiership meetings altogether.

Gabriel Agbonlahor to Score @ 2.88 Boylesports

The Villa forward has four goals to his name against Wigan, including Villa’s one and only strike at Villa Park back in 2007.

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – – – – – -

Match Odds

Aston Villa – 1.85 PaddyPower
Draw – 3.60 Bet365
Wigan Athletic – 4.75 VictorChandler

Sunderland V Wigan Athletic

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 23 April 2011 – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: Stadium of Light

Who’d be a manager? Quite a few in actual fact, although not too many would go to the ends of the earth and back to be Sunderland chief right now. So a spare a thought for Steve Bruce, who undoubtedly has the toughest job of all twenty managers in the Premier League as Sunderland boss, as his team continues to be ravaged by injuries.

I’m not sure if Wigan manager Roberto Martinez knows of such a thing as injuries. The Spaniard has had to deal with very few this season, and once again will have a full-strength squad to pick from for Saturday’s crucial game with severely depleted and out of form Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, with the suspended Maynor Figueroa the only absentee.

An impressive 3-1 victory away at Blackpool a week previous helped Wigan allay fears of relegation, with the Latics now looking up in 17th. Colombian forward Hugo Rodallega scored his 21st Premier League goal for the club and became Wigan’s most prolific scorer in the Premiership, while Wigan themselves will now set their sights on rewriting the record books, by recording back-to-back league wins for the first time since March 2009.

Before Wigan’s success story at Bloomfield Road, where they secured their first away win for seven games, they were rooted to the bottom of the table and were favourites for the drop. All of a sudden, after just one win, there’s a new found belief and sense of optimism around the club. So proof if ever it was needed that one win can make all the difference. I’m sure Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has been whispering similar sweet nothings into his players’ ears for weeks now, not that he’s had a single positive response.

It’s now nine matches without a win in the league for Sunderland, who have slid down the table at a dramatic rate of knots. Of more concern is the lack of goals being scored, mainly because Sunderland should have enough points on the board to be safe; 38 with five games left to register the two-points which would take them to that magical 40-point marker. Phil Bardsley, a full-back, is the only Sunderland play to have scored in nine hours of football, doing so from a free-kick.

Steve Bruce has placed some of the blame on Darren Bent and his decision to cut ties with the Wearsiders midway through the campaign, leaving Sunderland with only one fit recognised striker in Ghanian Asamoah Gyan. Fraizer Campbell won’t feature again for the club for a very long time while Danny Welbeck has also picked up another injury which is likely to rule him out of this weekend’s contest. But there’s no excuse for why the likes of Michael Turner, Jordan Henderson, Lee Cattermole and Gyan haven’t raised their game in Sunderland’s hour of need, or should I say nine hours of need judging by the staggering length of time upon which they’ve gone without a goal from open play.

Nevertheless, despite all the troubles and strife’s at the club, Sunderland go into their latest clash knowing one more win should just about do it in terms of avoiding what would be one of the most shocking relegation in Premiership history, having been something like 200/1 for the drop at Christmas.

Wigan, meanwhile, know they must approach all of their remaining fixtures in a must-win frame of mind, as they need all the points they can get at this crucial time of the season. They earned their own reprieve last weekend, however they’ll be back in the relegation doldrums soon enough if they fail once again to build on a win.

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Head-to-Head (Premier League)

Sunderland wins: 1
Draws: 3
Wigan wins: 5

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: Wigan 1-1 Sunderland
2009/2010: Sunderland 1-1 Wigan
2009/2010: Wigan 1-0 Sunderland
2008/2009: Sunderland 1-2 Wigan
2008/2009: Wigan 1-1 Sunderland
2007/2008: Sunderland 2-0 Wigan
2007/2008: Wigan 3-0 Sunderland

Streaks & Trends

Sunderland have mustered just one win from their nine Premiership meetings with Wigan, the Latics winning two and losing none of the previous five encounters.

Seven of the nine Premiership meetings have produced 2 goals or less, basically Under 2.5 goals.

Sunderland are currently enduring their worst ever run of form in the Premiership, the Black Cats registering a laughable one point from a possible 27 in a dismal spell which has seen them lose eight of their last nine.

The Black Cats have failed to locate the back of their opponent’s net in five of their last six matches and have shipped nine goals without replay away from home, with a little over six hours on the clock since Sunderland last scored on their travels.

Wigan have lost just one of their last four in the league, collecting a healthy seven points in that period.

No team has scored fewer goals this season than Wigan, who have plundered just 32 goals in 33 games.

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Betting Odds & Tips

Match Prediction: Wigan Athletic to WIN – 4.00 VictorChandler

It’s crazy to think that Sunderland could go down considering how comfortable they were at the midway point of the season. So comfortable that supporters weren’t given relegation the time of the day as qualifying for Europe was on their minds then. I don’t see them going down, which means they’ll pick up a couple of points from somewhere, though I wouldn’t necessarily bank on them collecting anything from Saturday’s encounter.

The Stadium of Light has been their one piece of solace, as it’s where they’ve at least scored in five of their last six matches. That said, they have lost their previous four encounters on Wearside, the most recent a bitterly disappointing and somewhat embarrassing 3-2 loss to West Brom, that despite taking the lead on two separate occasions – which just about sums up Sunderland’s year.

Wigan were very impressive at Blackpool last time out, putting in a clinical display which saw them capitalise on several mistakes from the home side. Sunderland’s performance have been riddled in errors for some time now, so Wigan will be licking their lips at the prospect of tackling inarguably the poorest team, form-wise, in the Premier League at this moment in time. So definite value in the visitors, and none whatsoever in Sunderland, who, remarkably, are just a shade of odds-against even though they’re facing a team they haven’t beaten in their previous five attempts.

Value Bet: Charles N’Zogbia to Score – 4.00 Coral

The little Frenchman can be a tricky customer out on the winger and scored twice at St James’ Park against Newcastle back in October, Sunderland’s arch local rivals. He was also on target when Wigan last beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, back in March 2009.

Match Odds:

Sunderland – 2.15 WilliamHill
Draw – 3.40 BetFred
Wigan Athletic – 4.00 VictorChandler

Blackpool V Wigan Athletic

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 16 April 2011 – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: Bloomfield Road

Blackpool were almost viewed as certainties to avoid the drop at Christmas, when they looked more like candidates for Europe than favourites for relegation, which is what they now are after a miserable 2011 which has seen them win just two of fifteen league games since the turn of the year. However, the good news for the Seasiders is that this weekend they’ll not only come face-to-face with the team who reside in the basement of the Premier League but also the side against whom, on the opening day of the season, they announced their introduction to the top-flight of English football with aplomb.

Wigan have endured many a moment this season which they would rather forget, one in particular being their infamous 4-0 humbling at home to then newly promoted Blackpool on the opening day of the season. No doubt they’ll be hell-bent on avenging that humiliating loss, not that they are well-placed to reverse that emphatic score-line. The Latics are rock-bottom of the Premier League with 31 points from 32 games, after winning just two league games since the turn of the year, which somewhat ironically mirrors Blackpool’s dismal form in the new year.

Neither are in great shape, so does it simply boil down to home advantage? It didn’t make the slightest bit of difference when the two went toe-for-toe at the DW earlier in the term, but then again the DW hasn’t got anything on a rocking Bloomfield Road, where once again it’s an expected sell-out this weekend, and rightly so as there will be few fixtures as pivotal as this one before the end of the season – a proper, old-fashioned six-pointer this!

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Blackpool

League Position: 17th
League Form: LLDLL

A week on from the disappointment of suffering their fifth defeat in six games, their twelfth since the turn of the year, Blackpool entertain bottom-of-the-league Wigan in what few would deny as being the club’s biggest game of the season thus far.

Blackpool are currently 17th heading into another pivotal weekend of Premiership fixtures, with the Tangerines only a point above the drop-zone following a dismal 2011 which has seen them reap just eight points from a possible 45. Now bookies have installed Ian Holloway’s men as odds-on second-favourites for relegation, behind this weekend’s opponents Wigan.

As demoralising as another defeat last Sunday was, Ian Holloway was at least encouraged by what he saw from his players, which was a spirited second-half display which almost saw his side come from behind to register some unlikely spoils. Blackpool reduced the arrears in the second period through Gary Taylor-Fletcher’s though it could and perhaps should have gotten even better for the Seasiders, as the home side carved out numerous opportunities and had several decent shouts for a penalty turned down by the referee.

More of the same will be the message from Holloway, who simply must stop the rot in April. No team has picked up less points per game in 2011 than Blackpool (W2 D2 L13), who face a make or break month ahead.

All three of their fixtures this month are scheduled to be played at Bloomfield Road, where their fans always get right behind the team with their vibrant, colourful support. However, failure to register a healthy sum from upcoming home encounters with Wigan, Newcastle and then Stoke would leave them on the brink of relegation, as in the final month of the season, May, the Tangerines face daunting trips to White Hart Lane and Old Trafford to face Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United respectively, the latter on the final day of the season.

Wigan Athletic

League Position: 20th
League Form: LLWDL

Overwhelmingly strong favourites for relegation, Wigan face an horrific run-in which has convinced many a punter and bookmaker that the Latics’ six-year reign in the Premier League will finally come to a bitter conclusion.

Wigan have six games left to save their ailing season and not a single one is straight-forward, with perhaps the one exception being this weekend’s trip to Bloomfield Road where they’ll come face-to-face with a free-falling Blackpool. That said, Wigan were thumped 4-0 by the Tangerines at the DW Stadium on the opening day of the season, and they haven’t looked in the slightest bit capable of reversing that emphatic scoreline in recent weeks.

A 2-1 win over Birmingham and a 0-0 draw with Tottenham either side of April had originally given supporters a glimmer of hope that the great escape could well be on, but then they were predictably beaten 1-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend and their upturn in form was quickly banished. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was nevertheless delighted with the performance of his team in West London, but another barren outing, one of many for the Latics this season, hasn’t helped their critical situation.

To claim Wigan are in desperate need of a morale-boosting and possibly season-turning victory would be a massive understatement. They face an excruciating final set of fixtures which, if they’re to stand any chance of taking a healthy sum of points from, they need to gather some momentum quickly. Trips to Aston Villa, Stoke and Sunderland await the Latics before the close of the term, and you wouldn’t bank on them to take a single point from any of those fixtures judging by their woeful away form in 2011.

Not since Boxing Day, when beating Wolves 2-1 at Molineux, has Roberto Martinez masterminded an away victory as Wigan manager – the Greater Manchester outfit drawing three and losing three of their six away matches in 2011.

The key to Wigan obtaining crucial away points would appear to be scoring, as on each occasion that Wigan have found the back of the net on their travels this year they have gone on to register a point, whereas on all three occasions they failed to net they were beaten. I think Martinez needs to have a quiet word with his ailing strike-force, which is basically the lonesome figure of Hugo Rodallega, who has managed a miserly one goal in Wigan’s last ten league games.

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Head-to-Head (Premier League ONLY)

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: Wigan 0-4 Blackpool

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – – – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Betting Odds & Tips

Match Prediction: Blackpool to WIN – 2.40 PaddyPower

It would take a brave punter to scathe through all the background information and attempt to predict a winner in this contest, as neither looks capable of securing that all important victory needed to boost their deteriorating hopes of survival.

Both teams have only managed two wins apiece in 2011. Blackpool have been conceding goals like there’s no tomorrow – conceding 15 in their last 5 games alone – while points on the road for Wigan have been at a premium in the new year; the Latics registering just 3 from a possible 18.

You can rely on Blackpool to give it their best shot, as they always do, and they’ll no doubt burst out of the traps aiming to stifle a Wigan side who are a great deal more organised. Several teams have gone to Bloomfield Road this season with a tactical game-plan and left with a decent result, but Wigan have those days where organisation, positional sense and discipline goes straight out of the window, and so, on this occasion Blackpool’s forward gusto and endeavour ultimately swayed us.

Value Bet: Under 2.5 Goals – 2.30 SportingBet

It has almost become second nature for punters to latch onto goals whenever Blackpool are involved, however, Saturday’s contest with Wigan may leave a few wishing they hadn’t bothered. This is a must-win game for both parties and although that may have a reflection on Blackpool’s performance, I doubt very much that Roberto Martinez will set his team up to attack Blackpool at every opportunity. The visitors will try to retain their shape throughout the game and their build-up play will be methodical, as usual. The match as a spectacle may suffer as a result of Martinez’s tactics.

Match Odds:

Blackpool – 2.40 PaddyPower
Draw – 3.50 WilliamHill
Wigan Athletic – 3.10 StanJames

More information:
Soccer Bet

Chelsea V Wigan

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 9 April 2011 – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: Stamford Bridge

It would appear a foregone conclusion on paper, the defending Premiership champions hosting the team who currently prop up the table and look set for a spell in the Championship next term. And, if truth be told, it should be a walk in the park for the West Londoners; after all, they have won nine of their eleven league meetings with the Latics, as well as the previous two by an overwhelming aggregate of 14-0.

However, Chelsea are hardly a reliable sort these days, to such extent where even a routine home fixture with Wigan isn’t the home banker it once was. But surely even they cannot strive to throw away this golden opportunity to make an immediate return to winning ways following two enormous setbacks within the space of a week.

Wigan, on the other hand, find themselves facing an uphill battle just to survive. The Latics are just two-points off safety and would probably leap out of the relegation zone with a surprise win at Stamford Bridge, however five of their remaining seven games are all away from home and to say there’s an inevitability about Wigan’s demise would be an understatement.

Basically, what we here is two teams in desperate need of points, for entirely different reasons of course. So it should be a fully committed affair, although, if the final outcome is anything other than a home win, critics really will come out in droves to hammer Carlo Ancelotti and his under performing, big-earning flops.

————————————————————

Chelsea

League Position: 4th
League Form: DWWWD

As if he wasn’t already a manager under intense pressure, Carlo Ancelotti’s position at the Chelsea helm could soon become untenable should he fail to end the term with at least one of either the Premier League or the UEFA Champions League. So then, the Italian would appear to be a dead man walking following two expensive defeats in both competitions within the space of four days, although he hopes to get their fading season back on track with a comprehensive win over Wigan this weekend in a fixture where the Blues usually collect maximum points but also score plenty of goals.

A 1-1 draw away at Stoke last weekend saw Chelsea’s slim hopes of retaining the league title they worked so tirelessly to win last season all but fade away into the distance, with the Blues now eleven-points adrift of leaders United, although they have played one game fewer and still have to visit Old Trafford before the season is out. Nevertheless, only minor miracles will come to their aid in the league.

As far as clinching their very first UEFA Champions League title, that too would seem beyond them following a 1-0 reverse at home to Manchester United in Wednesday’s first-leg encounter at Stamford Bridge.

So a gut-wrenching week all round then for Chelsea, who simply have to take full advantage of this weekend’s lush fixture with bottom-of-the-league Wigan at home, to restore that winning feeling if not for anything else. The Londoners have won four of the previous five league encounters in the capital, scoring sixteen goals in the process, eight of which came in the most Stamford Bridge meeting alone. So they really should devour a Wigan side who haven’t won away from home since Boxing Day and have the worst goal differential in the top-flight (-22).

Chelsea were 8-0 winners when the two met at the Bridge on the final day of last season, but with their performances of late having been so lacklustre, and with all three of their main forwards struggling for form – Fernando Torres still awaits his first goal in Chelsea colours while Didier Drogba, although he did get on the scoresheet in the 1-1 draw with Stoke last Saturday, has scored just once in Chelsea’s last ten league games – I wouldn’t like to be the one banking on a convincing Chelsea victory for a winning bet.

Wigan

League Position: 20th
League Form: DLLWD

Everyone knows it’s foolish to write any team off from defying the drop, especially with so many games left to play. However, Roberto Martinez’s Latics are rapidly becoming a lost cause and with their upcoming fixtures not getting any easier, we’re struggling to find a solid enough reason as to why Wigan are a sound bet to avoid the drop for a sixth consecutive term.

Next up is a trip to Chelsea, where they have registered a miserly one point from a possible fifteen and were thrashed 8-0 last season. The fact their record at Stamford Bridge is so poor only adds to their woes, as this is a side who have not won an away fixture in the league since Boxing Day – when beating fellow relegation battlers Wolves 2-1 at Molineux – and just two away matches since the start of the season.

Their record in London this season is also extremely worrying. Having stunned everyone by winning 1-0 at Tottenham three games into the term, Wigan have since gone on to record defeats in Fulham (2-0), West Ham (3-1) and Arsenal (3-0), all by a comfortable margins.

It’s difficult to take your eyes away from their alarming position in the table and their miserable away record, however their performances in recent weeks haven’t been all bad, and the reason why they’ve tasted defeat in just five of twelve league games since the turn of the year. That’s a half-decent statistic when you consider that three of those reverses were to teams currently positioned in the top-three. The Latics are also unbeaten in two now following a 2-1 victory over Birmingham last month and a 0-0 draw with Tottenham, although all four points were registered at the DW Stadium.

Roberto Martinez does at least have a fully fit squad to choose from, with the Spaniard not having to deal with any fresh absentees through injury or suspension. So it will basically be the same eleven which has battled gamely in their last two league games to record a win and draw which starts at Stamford Bridge this Saturday, a fixture they can now ill-afford to lose unfortunately such is their precariousness of their situation at the present time.

————————————————————

Head-to-Head (Premier League ONLY)

Chelsea wins: 9
Draws: 1
Wigan wins: 1

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: Wigan 0-6 Chelsea
2009/2010: Chelsea 8-0 Wigan
2009/2010: Wigan 3-1 Chelsea
2008/2009: Chelsea 2-1 Wigan
2008/2009: Wigan 0-1 Chelsea
2007/2008: Chelsea 1-1 Wigan
2007/2008: Wigan 0-2 Chelsea
2006/2007: Chelsea 4-0 Wigan
2006/2007: Wigan 2-3 Chelsea

————————————————————

Betting

Match Prediction: Draw – 6.50 StanJames

Although Chelsea should win this fixture hands down, possible even with something to spare, I’m not at all impressed with their odds and would prefer instead to have a stab at Wigan defying all the odds and expectations by grounding out a draw at The Bridge.

Wigan did earn a 1-1 draw in the West of London back in 2008, and back then they were up against a better Chelsea side to the one today, and who were also in better form, so there is hope. Roberto Martinez’s troops did also battle to a 1-1 draw at Anfield not so long ago, while they were more than a match for Spurs last weekend, bossing that particular encounter at home.

A long shot perhaps but certainly worth a few quid at the odds, especially as Chelsea boast very little appeal at the odds considering they are hardly in the form of their life’s, albeit unbeaten in four now in the league.

Value Bet: Charles N’Zogbia to Score – 6.50 WilliamHill

In order to unlock a Chelsea which while it hasn’t been in the best of forms but is still one the toughest rearguards to break down, Wigan will need some guile and the player who most fits the bill is winger Charles N’zogbia, who can cause defenders problems with his nippy pace and neat footwork but is also a lethal finisher.

Match Odds:

Chelsea – 1.22 PaddyPower
Draw – 6.50 StanJames
Wigan – 17.00 Bet365

Wigan V Tottenham

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 2 April – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: DW Stadium

Wigan

League Position: 20th
League Form: WDLLW

Wins were beginning to dry up for Roberto Martinez and Wigan, but Maynor Figueroa’s stoppage-time winner at home to Birmingham last time out has given the club and its supporters hope that relegation really can be avoided, with the team hopefully having turned a corner following that morale-boosting win just before the international break. But that’s generally what follows a Wigan victory, and they never do, with their last set of back-to-back league wins coming way back in January of 2009 when, fittingly, they beat Tottenham 1-0 to secure their fourth consecutive victory.

That 2-1 victory over Birmingham two weeks previous ended a run of three games without winning for the Latics, which is nothing for them. However, it was only their second since the turn of the year and the lack of three-points hauls is proving costly, to the point where the club’s status as a Premiership club is under intense scrutiny.

Because of their dismal form since the start of the year, having won only 2 of 11 league matches in 2011, Wigan now find themselves rock-bottom of the Premier League. Fortunately, safety is only a win away although securing maximum spoils from their weekend contest may prove a tough ask considering Spurs slammed twelve past them last season, home and away. Then again, it is Wigan who hold all the aces, after it was they who won the reverse encounter at White Hart Lane 1-0 courtesy of Hugo Rodallega’s late strike. A repeat performance would hand Wigan their very first league double over Tottenham, a classy way to respond to two drubbings last term.

Wigan’s chances of stringing together a couple of wins in the league for the first time in over two years is boosted by the fact Roberto Martinez has absolutely no injury concerns or players serving suspensions. The Spaniard will pick from a full strength squad and will have no doubt spent the last fortnight plotting Spurs’ downfall.

Tottenham

League Position: 5th
League Form: WWLDD

As the seasons runs and runs, clubs often find themselves having to pencil in new objectives and for Spurs, who at one stage were ambitious enough to claim winning the league was achievable – and it most certainly was considering how inconsistent the title protagonists have been this season, the target now is merely retaining their status as a UEFA Champions League representative.

So a top-four finish is now the goal. To complete their mission, they have to convert routine fixtures such as a trip to the DW Stadium to face struggling Wigan Athletic into three-points. But that is exactly what they haven’t been doing of late, and on Saturday, Tottenham will tackle a team currently embroiled in a fight for survival for the fourth game in a row. Spurs fans will be ecstatic to hear that they didn’t win any of the previous three.

A 3-1 defeat at Blackpool and a couple of draws with Wolves and West Ham simply isn’t good enough for a club who feel they are now worthy for Europe’s premier club competition. Alarmingly, the players didn’t have any distractions leading up to any of those matches. They do now, as on Tuesday tHarry Redknapp’s men  make the exciting trip across Europe by plane to Spain, where waiting for them will be Jose Mourinho and his expensively-assembled Real Madrid team.

So what match do you honestly believe the Tottenham players will be more fired up for? A bland trip to the DW to face Wigan in an ordinary Premiership fixture or a one-off encounter with Real Madrid in the Spanish capital where for 90 minutes they will become centre of attention and could even become overnight heroes should they do the unthinkable at the Bernabeu. In my humble opinion, it’s a no brainier, and why I believe Spurs are so vulnerable heading up to Greater Manchester to face a Wigan team for which, while they aren’t blessed with as much talent and such players who boast an abundance of technical ability, will be by far the hungrier party and will have spent the last fortnight thinking solely about this match with Tottenham. I very much doubt the Spurs ranks did the same during the international break.

Furthermore, it’s unlikely that Harry will risk his most potent attacking threat in Gareth Bale at the DW. The Welshmen has only just returned to light training following a minor hamstring injury and should now be wrapped up in cotton wool with Tuesday’s game with Madrid in mind. Then we have Rafael Van Der Vaart, who has one thing and only one thing running through his mind, and that too is the trip to Madrid, his homecoming. On the ‘plus side’, William Gallas has prolonged his stay at White Hart Lane.

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: Tottenham 0-1 Wigan
2009/2010: Wigan 0-3 Tottenham
2009/2010: Tottenham 9-1 Wigan
2008/2009: Wigan 1-0 Tottenham
2008/2009: Tottenham 0-0 Wigan
2007/2008: Wigan 1-1 Tottenham
2007/2008: Tottenham 4-0 Wigan
2006/2007: Wigan 3-3 Tottenham
2006/2007: Tottenham 3-1 Wigan

Premier League

Wigan wins: 2
Tottenham wins: 5
Draws: 4

Betting

Match Prediction: Wigan to WIN – 3.30 VictorChandler

If Spurs turn up and blow Wigan off the park, and they definitely have the attacking prowess to do just that, then I will end up looking rather foolish. I don’t see that being the case however, far from it in fact.

The last two weeks for Wigan has centred around this very fixture, with Roberto Martinez and his staff hopefully having working on a plan to bring down a Spurs team blessed with so many wonderful individuals. I have little faith in Spurs replicating the respect. Harry Redknapp will no doubt have done his fair share of homework, but whether the players share his enthusiasm for a trip to the DW remains to be seen. More like they can’t wait to see this fixture through so that preparations for Tuesday’s glamour tie with Real Madrid can finally begin.

My Dad used to say that teams who are fighting relegation are always dangerous at this time of the year, and that invariably is the case. Spurs are battling for a top-four finish, but that isn’t anywhere near as important as retaining your top-flight status, and Wigan will be all too aware of this.

West Brom proved his theory was correct last weekend when drawing 2-2 with Arsenal; Wolves did the exact same back in February, beating Manchester United 2-1 at Molineux. If Wigan show the sort of hunger and endeavour as the aforementioned teams, fellow relegation candidates, then they stand every chance of ending a 28-month voodoo of having not won back-to-back games in the Premier League. I’m certainly willing to take a chance on them, especially at those odds.

Value Bet: 1-0 Wigan (Correct Score) – 10.00 Coral

On the two occasions that Wigan have beaten Tottenham in a Premier League fixture, they did so by the odd-goal, both by a 1-0 scoreline. If they are to come good for us this weekend, chances are it will be by a similarly tight margin.

Match Odds:

Wigan – 3.30 VictorChandler
Draw – 3.30 Coral
Tottenham – 2.40 BetFred