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Premiership match preview: Wigan Athletic - Manchester City

Written by: Second_Sight Published: 15-01 13:13:39

Latics winless in last eight

Bottom of the league Wigan Athletic, take on Premiership joint leaders Manchester City in Monday night’s match with both sides keen to post three points with differing reasons. A win for Wigan, unlikely as that may be, would lift them out of the bottom three and relieve the pressure on manager Roberto Martinez whilst also handing The Latics their first league win in five matches. Wigan have provided stern resistance in recent weeks by grinding out points against Chelsea and Liverpool (1-1 and 0-0 respectively), along with a draw against Stoke City, there’s positive signs despite losing 0-5 at Manchester United and 1-4 at home to Sunderland last Tuesday. But the fact remains that they are now winless in their last eight matches at the DW Stadium, and with the attacking riches that Manchester City boast, they certainly face an uphill battle in this one. Their home record stands at 1-4-5 10/20, and goals have been a rare commodity indeed with only West Brom (8) and QPR (9) scoring fewer at home. Forward Franco di Santo (4 goals) and midfielder Jordi Gomez (4 goals) are their leading scorers, with fellow front man Hugo Rodallega (1 goal, 3 assists) being their creative spark so far. Winger Albert Crusat is expected to return after a back injury, but important Senegal midfielder Mohamed Diame is on Africa Cup of Nations duty and is unavailable.

City motivated to win

Visitors Manchester City have experienced some indifferent results lately with defeats to bitter rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup, Liverpool in the Carling Cup, along with defeat at Sunderland and managing just one point against West Brom. That said, I don’t think I’d be too wide of the mark to suggest that Mancini’s driving ambition above all else is to lift the Premiership trophy at the end of the season and steal it from under the noses of their Manchester counterparts. The pressure is now on though as United dealt with Bolton in clinical fashion on Saturday night to level with City on points, and the onus is on City to go and grab all three points at Wigan on Monday. However, it’s now four away matches without a win for the Citizens with draws at Liverpool and West Brom along with losses at Chelsea and Sunderland, but they won’t get a better chance to set the ship right when they play a Wigan side who are winless in their last eight. City’s away record stands at 5-3-2 25/12, and they have plenty of attacking depth on show; Sergio Aguero (14 goals, 4 assists), Edin Dzeko (10 goals, 3 assists), striker Mario Bolatelli is doubtful but playmaker David Silva (5 goals, 10 assists) is expected to recover in time from an ankle injury. Throw in midfield options of Samir Nasri and James Milner to name but a couple, and you have a potent attacking force ready to wreak havoc.

City to fire up

Given Wigan’s poor run of form and City’s incentive to win and turn recent results around, I’m backing Mancini’s side to teach Wigan a footballing lesson; Man City to win 2-0, and I’ll take them to cover the -1 handicap.

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Prediction:

Tip: Man City AH-1
Odd: 1.73
Bookie: 188bet
Stake: 7 /10
Tipster: Second_Sight

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