Wigan Athletic V Liverpool Betting: Monday, 8th March (ESPN – Premiership)

Wigan Athletic V Liverpool

Kick-Off: Monday, 8th March – 20:00 GMT

TV Coverage: ESPN

Wigan Athletic

League Position: 16th

Recent Form: DDDLL

Wigan Athletic don’t have the best of records against Liverpool at The DW Stadium, with this very same fixture last season ending up in a 1-1 stalemate. That was the first time in four meetings in Wigan that the Latics had managed to take anything from Liverpool, but, also, Wigan have never beaten Liverpool in a Premiership encounter. Will Monday’s live encounter on ESPN prove to be the setting for a memorable night in Wigan, or will the Latics falter once more against the English giant?

If Wigan aren’t a team in crisis then I don’t know what it; Just one win from their last eight games, in accordance with two wins from seventeen has left Wigan slipping down the table. Now, Roberto Martinez is staring relegation straight in the face with Wigan occupying 16^th position in the Barclay’s Premiership table, just a point above the drop zone. Defeat to Liverpool would leave them vulnerable to yet more slipping and sliding down the table, and that’s something Wigan can ill-afford at the present time.

When any side are in trouble with form, it’s always a relief to head back home into a venue where you’re normally very strong. Wigan don’t have that, not at all. Wigan form’s is actually more drastic at home would you believe it, with Wigan’s only win in a fourteen game span coming at Wolves. You have to cast your mind back to November last year when they beat Sunderland 1-0 for their previous victory at home. That rare piece of winning action from the Latics came a whole three months ago, with Wigan having not won at the DW in either of their last six home fixtures.

The statistics don’t paint a pretty picture, but don’t be fooled into thinking Wigan have been unlucky with their results as they haven’t. They seriously are a team in danger of dropping right into that relegation mixer, if they weren’t already fixated in it. While they haven’t shipped bucket loads of late, Wigan’s defence is a shambles, Championship standard at best, while their forwards have been non-exsistent. So much so that Wigan haven’t scored a league goal in 284 minutes of play. Moreover, the last time they scored more than once in a game was back in January in that rare away delight at Wolves, winning 2-0. Their previous seven league games has seen Wigan score 1 goal three times, 0 goals four times, which basically says all you need know about their blunt forward line.

The only real positive factor for Wigan is their new playing surface at the DW Stadium that will have been laid just in time for Liverpool’s arrival. Martinez is persistent on getting this awkward looking Wigan team playing attractive, on-the-floor football, but we honestly believe he’s hitting his head against a brick wall. Martinez has some big, bulky lads in his squad and he needs to use their physical stature to rustle a few feathers, much like Blackburn did last weekend in order to overcome the Reds at The DW. If they try to play football on this smoother surface then Liverpool will play them into the ground. A change of tactics, perhaps even style, is needed with Wigan before wins finally come on a more regular basis.

Liverpool

League Position: 6th

Recent Form: WWLDW

Rafael Benitez guided Liverpool back to the winning trail last Sunday, although in somewhat controversial circumstances. Liverpool’s performance was fine but the same could not be said for Blackburn Rovers, whom learly felt that actually playing football would get them nowhere so they decided to play like the England Rugby team, only Rovers were a lot better with their dump tackles and grapples. It was a tough encounter for Liverpool, one they weren’t used to but should have expected and winning that type of game will have done the team the world of good in our eyes as Liverpool’s squad of underachievers need a bit of roughing up after the shocker of a season we’ve all had to endure.

Of course, the huge positive for Rafa and Liverpool is the return to fitness of their Spanish attacking maestro, Fernando Torres. Liverpool have sorely missed the Spaniards pace and movement in the final third, with David N’gog’s lazy attitude not impressing us nor the locals up north. In fact it was Torres’ quick thinking that got him into a goalscoring position to score Liverpool’s second and eventual winner at home to Blackburn last Sunday. He’s only been back five minutes and he’s already having the desired impact everyone involved with Liverpool was praying he would have. Torres has got his first goal in three months under his belt, so will he continue where he left off and bang in some more vital goals for the Reds as they keep up their pursuit of Champions League football? 

Well, you would like to think so against what is a hapless Wigan Athletic. While Liverpool’s away record isn’t the best, pretty lousy in fact at 4-6-6, Wigan’s is perhaps even worse at 3-5-5 considering the team at home should generally pick the vast majority of their points. Moreover, Wigan have seriously lacking in form and a quick start from Liverpool, one which will hopefully result in an early breakthrough, could make Monday’s fixture done and dusted as Wigan don’t look a side capable of producing any sort of comeback. The Latics are low on just about everything; form, momentum, confidence, you name, Wigan don’t have it. So, this is a game Liverpool simply have to win, especially as it’s an away outing, arguably their easiest remaining away assignment of the season.

Liverpool have been etching out wins in the past month or two, winning close-fought encounters by the odd goal here of there. However, Monday’s fixture with Wigan gives them the ideal opportunity to bang in a few goals against a Wigan defence which faints at the sight of pace. Fernando Torres should have a field day tearing open the Wigan back four, while Steven Gerrard’s display as captain for England on Wednesday should have awoken him from his Liverpool slumber to finally start playing to the high level he was at during the last campaign. Much like Wigan, Liverpool aren’t playing to their full capacity, the difference being Liverpool have the potential and quality within their ranks to race through the gears and the emergence of Torres could be the spark they needed to kick-start their lacklustre campaign.

Match Verdict: Liverpool to WIN – 1.62 Bet365

We know Liverpool haven’t been playing of late, all season for that matter, but why anyone would want to back Wigan in the present climate is beyond me. They really do look a team deprived of inspiration, lost for ideas and generally just useless in what they do. Martinez wants this Wigan side to play attractive football, which actually should come to light on this fresh new playing surface they’ve laid, but his ‘Class-above’ manner simply isn’t working with a Wigan side that just wants to play ‘Rustle & Bustle’ style football. In our opinion, Wigan’s tactics are all wrong and I’ll be damned if they change in time for Liverpool’s arrival. The Reds have hardly excelled in recent weeks but if they want to be considered serious top four contenders then victory at Wigan is a must. The return of forward Fernando Torres should reignite their season, starting with a predicted win at The DW Stadium.

Match Odds:

Wigan Athletic – 6.00 PaddyPower

Draw – 4.00 VCbet

Liverpool – 1.62 Bet365

SoccerBetting Value Pick: Fernando Torres FGS – 7/2 Coral