Tottenham Hotspur V Wigan Athletic Betting

 

Tottenham Hotspur V Wigan Athletic

Saturday, 28th August – 15:00 GMT

 

Tottenham Hotspur

League Position: 8th
League Form: DW

Harry’s Tottenham completed the start of their Champions League journey in midweek when despatching of Swiss club Young Boys in comprehensive fashion, but now it’s back to business for Spurs who must repeat their feat a weekend ago when registering a 2-1 win over battlers Stoke City immediately after an energy-sapping Champions League fixture – Will they follow up with another back-to-back European/League combo by seeing of the league’s slowest starters, Wigan Athletic.

After losing the first leg of their Champions League qualifier 3-2 in Switzerland, many skeptics were doubting whether Spurs would falter in Europe before they were even ahead of steam. That certainly wasn’t the case though, as Spurs cruised to victory and will now avert all their attention to the Premier League, where Tottenham will look to continue their positive start following a decent point at home to Man City, that despite dominating proceedings, and a hard-fought win away at Stoke City, a venue even the big guns dread playing at.

Tottenham fans will have fond memories of the last time these two met in the league, with Spurs going goal crazy when putting nine past a despairing Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal. Jermain Defoe scored four that day but the England striker, who scored Tottenham’s second on Wednesday night in a stunning 4-0 win over Young Boys in their Champions League qualifiers – sailing through as comfortable 6-3 aggregate winners, is unlikely to feature against a team he’s enjoyed a lot of success against in recent meetings as he recently signed up for surgery on a troublesome groin injury. Defoe did comment after Tottenham’s win in midweek saying he wasn’t sure whether he would go through with the operation, although Redknapp appeared eager to quash Defoe’s eagerness to avoid surgery and continue playing in a bid to get Defoe back to full health ahead of an exciting but difficult European adventure.

But that’s the beauty of this Tottenham team, their strength in depth means even the absence of their star striker won’t be too crucial to their plans, as the likes of Roman Pavlyuchenko and Giovanni Dos Santos are waiting in the wings and eager to impress Harry Redknapp at the prospect of playing a key role in a big season for Spurs. Luka Modric missed Wednesday’s game and should be available for the game with Wigan, although Harry maybe reluctant to risk the Croatian schemer against a team Spurs should beat with the eyes closed. Peter Crouch, though, is a certain starter following his hat-trick haul in midweek, and the former Liverpool striker will be hungry for more goals against the Latics on Sunday, as will every Spurs player, as the smell of goals hovers above White Hart Lane as the visit of Wigan looms ever larger.

 

Wigan Athletic

League Position: 20th
League Form: LL

The Latics only narrowly avoid the drop last season, when finishing down in 16th position and just six points ahead of the relegated trio of Portsmouth, Hull and Burnley, but manager Roberto Martinez seems to have another energy-sapping season ahead with a team more than likely to spend most of the campaign fighting for their Premiership survival.

On Saturday, Wigan bettered their humiliating start to the season when losing 4-0 at home to Blackpool by getting smashed off the park by Chelsea, once again at the DW stadium, conceding an astonishing six goals to take their goal difference to negative 10 despite playing just twice. The writing is well and truly on the wall and bookie’s now have Martinez as the overwhelming favourite to be relived of his managerial duties first. That doesn’t seem a half-bad bet considering Wigan look a team capable of shipping any amount of goals right now, while they still appear far too lightweight up front despite splashing out on Argentine Mauro Bolselli in the summer, as well as adding to their defence.

Martinez has at least bolstered his defensive options ahead of another daunting clash with Tottenham Hotspur at White Lane. I’m sure no Wigan has ever forgotten the nightmare trip they made to North London last season, when Spurs put a staggering eight goals past Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal. The centre-back combination of Steve Gohouri and Antolin Alcaraz clearly isn’t having the desired affect, so the capture of Steven Caldwell, brother of Gary, could prove a smart move, although the defensive standard at the club is low right now that virtually anyone, even Titus Bramble, could walk into the Wigan defence and a make a positive difference. Steven Caldwell could be thrown in at the deep end by Martinez on Saturday in a desperate bid to reduce the amount of goals being shipped.

On the plus side, Wigan are facing a team reporting back to league duty just days after taking on Young Boys (Swiss) in a Champions League qualifier. The Latics should have the edge in the fitness department, late on into the game in particular, but they still require a significantly improved performance in order to take anything from a fixture which has brought them nothing but misery in recent meetings.

 

Match Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur to WIN – 1.25 Coral

I just don’t see where Wigan’s next goal will come let alone their next set of points, and we definitely don’t see them ending their baron run at White Hart Lane where they conceded a staggering eight goals last season.

This Wigan side genuinely have the look about them which says ‘Goals, how many you want?’. They’ve been woeful up till this point; pathetic against Blackpool on match day 1 when shipping four goals to the weakest team in the league on paper, while Chelsea compounded their woes with a 6-0 whitewash at the DW last weekend. It doesn’t get any easier though, and we don’t expect the goals to stop rolling in either, so Tottenham not just to win but to win with authority, even without striker Jermain Defoe who misses the next month after his operation to mend a groin problem.

Spurs are riding high and have re found their taste and love for goals. We wouldn’t put anyone off a small flutter on a repeat 8-0 scoreline (250/1 PaddyPower); with Tottenham possessing the quality in the final third to carve out numerous openings against an opponent with the potential to concede excessive amounts -  This could turn crazy for the second meeting running.

 

Match Odds:

Tottenham Hotspur – 1.25 Coral
Draw – 6.00 Ladbrokes
Wigan Athletic – 13.00 SkyBet

Soccer-Betting Tip: Peter Crouch First Goalscorer – 5.00 Bet365

 

Tottenham Hotspur V Wigan Athletic

 

Kick-off: Sunday 22nd November – 15:00 GMT

Venue: The Reebok

 

 

 

 

Tottenham Hotspur

 

League Position: 4th

Recent Form: DWLLW

 

High flying Tottenham have been presented with a fabulous opportunity to bolster their already impressive point tally with a win over Wigan Athletic, at White Hart Lane. Tottenham’s early displays have put them in the frame for a possible top four invasion and for them at least, possession is nine tenths of the law as they currently cling onto that fourth Champions League position. However, with Spurs playing a day later then most, they could find themselves needed the win to regain fourth position if those in close proximity do the business elsewhere.

  

What others get up to shouldn’t concern Tottenham as providing they do what is required of them, they will regain fourth position regardless. However, it will be in the back of Harry Redknapp’s thoughts that Man City, a team currently just two points behind Tottenham in the table, have a game in hand over the London outfit so any slip ups from here on out could play into the hands of the Manchester side. It’s down to Harry Redknapp & Co. to avoid any such predicament and we feel he will dodge a curve ball with Wigan on Sunday with a victory. 

 

Tottenham have made a bright start to the season, although there are areas which still need improving. The defence is still a million miles off where it needs to be, although injuries to the likes of Johnathan Woodgate & Ledley King haven’t helped. Spurs have shipped 17 goals this season, far from ideal, but only six have been conceded at White Hart Lane, which is a big improvement on last season. What will give the defence and Brazilian goalkeeper a big boost was their clean sheet in their last home fixture against an attacking and adventurous Sunderland, of which Spurs spent the majority of the opening half on the back foot. We also mustn’t forget that Gomes, the Spurs goalie, did save a Darren Bent penalty so his confidence should be sky high, although, an international appearance for his country still looks minuscule due to his inconsistent nature, and the fact that he is just not a very good keeper.

 

At White Hart Lane this season, Spurs boast a record of 4-0-2, with the North Londoners yet to draw game at home thus far. The defeats came against Man Utd (1-3) & Stoke City (0-1), the latter especially disappointing, but on the whole Tottenham have been performing well at home and should continue in the same vein on Sunday, against a team they thumped 4-0 last term.

 

 

 

Wigan Athletic

 

League Position: 13th

Recent Form: LDWLD

 

Consistency is a major concern for Wigan manager, Roberto Martinez. On several occasions this season, Wigan have surprise almost ever football follower by overturning the odds to beat a vastly superior side. However, replicating those sorts of performances into games against weaker opponents has been a problem. The generalrule of thumb with Wigan this season is back them when they’ve gone a few games without a win and back against them when they do actually win one. 

 

Wigan have yet to win back-to-back games this season and after only managing a 1-1 draw in their last league outing against Fulham, ending 1-1, this won’t be possible on Sunday even if they do upset the favourite once again. However, their following fixture is a game with Sunderland at The DW, a game which is winnable, so perhaps a big performance at White Hart Lane could take them nicely into what will be a tricky yet winnable home match with Sunderland the following weekend.

  

Will Wigan beat Spurs on their own patch? – We can’t see it, unfortunately. At times, especially on the road, they have looked ordinary and often non existent. When things don’t go their way they tend to just capitulate, this was certainly the case against both Arsenal (4-0) & Man Utd (0-5), earlier on in the season. Now, Tottenham aren’t quite at the same level as the two we’ve just mentioned but they are closing the gap, steadily, and an early goal for Spurs could be curtains for Wigan. They have already conceded 13 away goal this season, four of those coming away at Portsmouth, a team rock-bottom of the league, so their habit of just packing up and sulking is apparent for all to see.

  

We’ve learnt this season that you can never completely write Wigan off and that Spurs are never a banker at home, so perhaps Wigan are no forlorn hope. However, they will need to improve immensely on some of their recent performances. They were absolutely woeful away at Portsmouth in the 4-0 drubbing, while they failed to assert themselves in the home game with Fulham just before the international break. If they do want to take at least a point home with them then they will need to attack a whole lot more, and with more pace. Hugo Rodallega should aid them in this as his pace and strength has enabled him to top Wigan goalscoring chart with five goals, three more than anyone else in the Wigan squad.

 

 

 

 

Head-to-Head (Last 8):

 

Tottenham Hotspur W: 3 Wigan Athletic W: 1 Draws: 4

 

Previous meetings have been very tight affairs with Wigan actually managing a point at White Hart Lane last season, although, Spurs were rocking at the time. The two season before that, however, both went the way of the home side, and in a comprehensive manner. Tottenham beat the Latics 4-0 in the 2007/2008 campaign while they won 3-1 the season before.

 

Wigan did beat Spurs last season, that being a narrow 1-0 success at The JJB, now known as the DW stadium. However, that is their only success to date in the Premiership over the North London club after winning just one of right previous meetings.

 

 

  

 

Match Verdict:- Tottenham Hotspur to WIN – 1.50 Ladbrokes

 

After two games without a win, Wigan are probably well overdue a win and shock one at that. However, Spurs are by far the best team of the two in terms of overall quality within the respective camps and they should be fairly comfortable back at White Hart Lane, especially after beating a decent and improving Sunderland outfit at home just before the two week break. We aren’t too sure if Spurs are worth their ½ price tag but we always give our prediction based solely on who we think will win, and that’s Tottenham on this occasion.

 

 

 

Match Odds:

 

Tottenham Hotspur – 1.50 Ladbrokes

Draw – 4.30 VCbet

Wigan Athletic – 8.50 SkyBet

 

 

 

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Draw/Tottenham Hotspur (Half-Time/Full-Time Betting ) – 4.50 Ladbrokes

 

 

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Full-Time: Tottenham Hotspur 9-1 Wigan Athletic

 

Goalscorer(s): Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe X5, Aaron Lennon, Niko Kranjcar, Chris Kirkland O.G. (Tottenham Hotspur), Paul Scharner (Wigan Athletic)