Premiership Predictions: Which Wigan Team Will Turn Up on Saturday?
It’s been a topsy-turvy season for Wigan Athletic fans so far. The Latics supporters had the excitement of beating Chelsea at the DW Stadium in the early autumn but had to watch their team conceded nine at Tottenham.
Typically, Wigan came back from that nine goal caning with a 1-0 home win. Despite the thrashing from Harry Rednapp’s team, Roberto Martinez has his side clear of the bottom three and that’s what matters.
The unpredictability was there from the very start of the season when Wigan went to Aston Villa and pulled off a shock win on the opening day. The squad then went on to lose their next four games including a 5-0 bashing from Manchester United and letting in four at Blackpool.
Wigan have lost badly at bottom club Portsmouth and went down to defeat at Hull City, yet went to Burnley where visiting teams had struggled badly and came away with a handsome victory. Manchester City were lucky to get away from the DW Stadium with a draw.
Wigan are going about the business of survival in a very different way to the likes of Stoke City, Bolton and Fulham, who make it very difficult for the opposition and grind out results.
It’s a method which can work because in the history of the Premiership there have been many teams that are hard to beat but lacked the sparkle to be able to turn draws into three points. Wigan’s flair players might just do enough to keep them up.
The likes of Hugo Rodellega, Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland can examine defences and produce results. Wigan have been beaten five times on their travels but have also fashioned two wins. That six point haul is better than Bolton and West Ham – two teams in their area of the table who have lost less on their away trips.
Birmingham City’s visit at the weekend is one of those games that Latics fans find hard to predict. Alex McLeish’s side arrive on the back of a big derby win at Wolves and have scrambled above Wigan in the table.
But Sunderland arrived in a high position and went away beaten, so McLeish will be wary of underestimating the home side. Despite leaking goals in away games Wigan have conceded only nine at home and five of those were in the Man United fixture.
Wigan lost their first two home games but haven’t been beaten in the next five. Their response to the Spurs mauling has been very creditable, but no one can predict what comes next with this squad. A boring 0-0 scoreline is very unlikely.
Birmingham will be full of confidence after last week’s exceptional win at Molineux but Wigan have a point to prove. After a superb win against former boss Steve Bruce Wigan will be looking to conslidate further after the 9-1 debacle.
PartyBets.com Prediction: 2-1 to Wigan @ 7/1
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