Sunderland V Wigan Athletic

Saturday, 6^th February – 15:00 GMT

Sunderland

League Position: 13th

Recent Form: DDLLD

This rut of theirs just keeps rumbling on and their run in the league without a win was extended on Monday night when all they could manage in front of their home fans, and the ESPN cameras, was a pathetic draw with Stoke City. We say pathetic as Sunderland’s performance that night was appalling. The task to change their fortunes is left with Steve Bruce, but even the genius himself is quoted, in as many words, in saying he feels like he’s chasing his own tail. It’s a riddle why Sunderland aren’t performing to the standards we all know they can play but perhaps a visit from Wigan is just what they need.

That statement above about Wigan being the perfect fixture for Sunderland is something we’ve been saying for just about every team that has paid Sunderland a visit at the Stadium of Light in recent weeks. Our stance on Sunderland at this moment of time is that surely a win is well overdue as Sunderland o have bags of quality and a big performance within them. We’ve seen this on more than one occasions already this season, with two of several highlights being their victories over Liverpool & Arsenal.

However, their season is rapidly being overshadowed by too many low points and failures, with their drab draw with Stoke City on Monday being one of many disappointments we could mention. That poor result was their tenth in a row, with Sunderland having now gone ten whole games without a league win. That’s a staggeringly poor run for a club which was being touted as outside European contenders just a couple of months ago. Injuries haven’t helped their cause but Steve Bruce hasn’t kept his players in line and the club is paying a heavy price with consistently poor results.

The only positive about Sunderland boring 0-0 draw on Monday was it extended their unbeaten home run to two games – which just goes to show how dull a season it’s turning out to be if two home draws is now a positive. The negative, and it’s a huge one, is this run without winning a game and the impact it’s having on their displays. Moreover, even home isn’t as homely as it once was, with The Black Cats not managing a win in front of their home fans since the 21^st November, five home fixtures ago. They have since succumbed to several disappointing draws to beatable opposition and there is nothing to say that Sunderland won’t disappoint us once again this Saturday in yet another winnable game.

Wigan Athletic

League Position: 14th

Recent Form: DLWLL

It’s ring the alarm at The DW as the Latics rapidly begin to lose their grip on their Premiership status after yet another league defeat over the weekend, losing 1-0 at home to Everton. That was Wigan’s second defeat on the spin, their third in four league games and it has sent them closer to the bottom three with Wigan’s position in the Premiership now a precarious one – Occupying 14^th position, just a point off Hull City in the relegation zone.

Roberto Martinez, who hasn’t had the best of spells in his first season as a Premiership manager, could do with some battling, combative individuals but we can’t see too many in the Wigan squad that will help him through this difficult spell. At the moment, Wigan look a team lost and one of the rocks. However, they do have this uncanny knack of pulling a big performance right out of the hat. However, with Wigan managing just one win in their last eight, they are well overdue such a display and one against a Sunderland side who are rocking could see them claim all the spoils in this contest.  

To best sum up just how inconsistent a side Wigan have been this season you just have to look at their amount of wins at home, and away from The DW. Home Record: 3-3-4, Away Record: 3-1-8. The big negative of course, is the amount of defeats they’ve suffered away from home, eight in all, but they’ve won just as many on the road as they have on the road which proves Wigan are a perfect example of Jekyll & Hyde in that you just don’t know what to expect from them… Wherever they end up

If we’re brutally honest, we couldn’t touch Wigan in the slightest. However, they do have the potential to produce a big display and on the same token they are a dangerous side to back against because of this trait. Also, the arrival of a potential star in Victor Moses from Crystal Palace could spark a revival from the Latic as the lad has bags of potential and will scare the living daylights out of even the leanest of Premiership defenders with his pace and trickery. If he can adapt quickly to the Premiership then Wigan could be onto a real winner with Moses.

Match Verdict: Sunderland to WIN – 2.10 PaddyPower

This will probably turn out to be another stupid selection as backing Sunderland will have left you homeless this season. However, surely… surely, a team as poor as Wigan can be should get dispatched on Saturday?! This Sunderland side are a puzzle but reality will hit home soon enough, as if it hasn’t already, that their easy fixtures are disappearing and a home fixture with Wigan certainly falls into that category. The Black Cats have the talent to end their abysmal run of form, especially in the final third, but the problem recently has been Sunderland’s lack of creativity, However, Wigan aren’t organised and don’t have the sort of discipline that Stoke had on Monday night and so Sunderland should carve out a few more openings.

Match Odds:

Sunderland – 2.10 PaddyPower

Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

Wigan Athletic – 3.50 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Value Pick: Draw/Sunderland (HT/FT Betting) – 5.00 Bet365