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Here we go. Two trips in a 4 day period to the DW stadium, on the bright side, it means this match preview will suffice for both the league encounter and the FA Cup third round replay! Hatters that are making the trip up twice in such a short space of time have mine and the rest of the supporter base's utmost respect.
Wigan have had somewhat of a turbulent season, whereby when they travelled to the Kenny earlier in the season in their smash and grab 2-1 victory, they seemed to be doing well. Leam Richardson was getting sufficient results and looked on course to guide them into midtable mediocrity, which is exactly what you want in your first season after promotion. However, since we last encountered Wigan in the league (failing to put this in a better way), “things” have happened. Firstly in a repeat of what was happening in 2020, which was followed by administration and relegation, Wigan were unable to pay their staff, this included regular staff as well as the players. The club dismissed that they would be facing administration, which often follows these events. Then Leam Richardson renewed his contract, therefore all things started looking rosy again, and then two weeks later he was sacked by Wigan. Hmmmm, it just doesn’t make sense and chaos off the pitch can lead to chaos on the pitch. He has since been replaced by Kolo Toure, a great player, car salesman and coach alongside Brendan Rogers at Leicester. I four one believe that the jury is still out on Kolo, with back to back 1-1 draws, but the reality is they are bottom of the table, and need to start grinding out results. Underlying Statistics
As mentioned above Wigan are currently at the bottom of the Championship table with; 27 games played, 6 wins, 7 draws, 14 losses, 27 goals scored, 47 goals conceded. Their home form also places them at the bottom of the table; 14 played, 2 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses, 11 scored, 28 conceded. They travel well, whereby they are 14th in the table on away form. Therefore it’s fortunate for us that our next two games are at the DW where Wigan struggle. Coincidentally, Luton Towns’ away form places us 4th in the league table, even better!
Wigan are currently leading the table in goals conceded per match, averaging 1.7 goals each game, which is ideal for us considering under Rob Edwards we have found our shooting boots, averaging 2 goals scored per game. Wigan have only kept 4 clean sheets this season, which places them joint bottom with Hull City. They have also been goal shy, scoring 27 goals total, which places them at 1 goal scored on average per game.
Players to watch out for
James McClean is always a danger to watch out for, he gets very busy down the left hand side, with a left foot that even Alan Kimble would be proud of. He has scored 2 goals, and laid on 5 assists this season, therefore from dead ball situations, or crosses - both of which we have struggled with considering our fragmented back line - McClean will be a threat that needs to be watched. Wigans’ current top scorer is Will Keane, he is classy in the air, and tidy with his feet too. He hasn’t quite hit the heights that he was thought to be destined for considering he broke into the Manchester United team from a very young age, and had represented England at every youth level, it’s a case of persistent injuries that have robbed him of his momentum and full potential. Fortunately their second top scorer Nathan Broadhead, also a brilliantly gifted technician, has been recalled by his parent club Everton.
I have no idea why Thelo Aasgaard isn’t nailed on as a starter, in each of our last two games, he has been subbed on late in the game, and then straight away he is looking for the ball, driving into our box and happy to take shots. In the league game earlier this season we saw Aasgaard score a brilliant effort from outside the box, and we nearly saw him score a similar effort in the FA Cup match, however, Horvath was equal to it. Finally, Tom Naylor showed in the FA Cup match what a threat he is from set pieces, scoring one, nearly scoring one and finally having one disallowed at the death. He isn’t a great defender, but when you pose that much of a threat from set pieces, you have to be watched out for.
Prediction
Luton Town travel well, Wigan don’t like their home comforts. I’m backing Luton Town with a 3-0 victory! Likely Lineup
Horvath, Potts, Lockyer, Burke, Bree, Doughty, Pelly, Clark, Campbell, Morris, Adebayo
Head to head record (previous 4 matches)
Luton 1 win – 2 Draws – Wigan 1 win
7th December 2019 Luton Town 2 – 1 Wigan Athletic Championship
7th March 2020 Wigan Athletic 0 – 0 Luton Town Championship
3rd September 2022 Luton Town 1 – 2 Wigan Athletic Championship
7th January 2022 Luton Town 1 – 1 Wigan Athletic FA Cup 3rd Round