Both Wigan and Bolton have given themselves some breathing space following recent victories but a win this weekend for either side would go some way to ensuring Premier League survival. The Latics will be full of confidence following an impressive first win against Liverpool in the club’s history. That victory ended Wigan’s 7-match league run without a win and should lift spirits ahead of yet another massive clash this weekend.
Two wins in the last three league games for Bolton has seen the Trotters climb 5 points above the relegation zone. However, a 4-0 thrashing at Sunderland in midweek will have brought Owen Coyle’s team back down to earth with a bump. The result at the Stadium of Light only emphasized just how much work there is still to do if Bolton are to stay up this season. Personally, I didn’t expect the Trotters to lose that match, let alone in the manner they did but Coyle will need to lift his players for another 6-pointer at the Reebok Stadium this weekend.
Roberto Martinez will have been delighted by the Latics’ performance and clean-sheet against a Liverpool team that I and few others would have expected the home side to get anything against. That victory was Wigan’s first win at the DW Stadium since November and was timely to say the least. They will now be brimming with confidence ahead of this game which promises to be an even encounter between two teams separated by a mere point in the table.
I wouldn’t expect too many goals in this match with so much riding on the result. Bolton have failed to score in six of their last eight league games home and away. In fact, there has only been two goals scored in Bolton’s last three league matches at the Reebok, although those two single strikes were enough to beat Burnley and Wolves 1-0. Despite losing 4-0 at Sunderland, the Trotters have been performing pretty well. They were very good last weekend at Upton Park and the 2-1 score-line certainly didn’t flatter Owen’s team as they created numerous chances in East London. The players will be looking to bounce back from their defeat at Sunderland, so I’d expect a highly competitive match.
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Only two teams have conceded more than Wigan’s 35 away league goals this season but the Latics have showed signs that they have improved defensively on the road. In the last four away trips, Martinez’ team have conceded 4 goals, in the previous four they conceded a staggering 18. Wigan can also boast a good record at the Reebok of two wins and just one defeat in their four Premier League visits. They’ve also a clean-sheet in each of the last four meetings home and away with Bolton.
I am tipping this one to finish in a draw on this weekend’s Premier 10 as neither team will want to give anything away and a point could go a long way to cementing both clubs positions in the Premier League. With an estimated £30,000 jackpot to be won this weekend, who will you back?
