MATCHPREVIEW
Sunday 22nd May, 2011
Stoke City v Wigan Athletic
Barclays Premier League
Britannia Stadium
Kick Off 4.00pm
INTRODUCINGWIGAN:
THE Great Escape theme tune rang around the DW Stadium as Wigan Athletic celebrated a dramatic victory which kept their hopes of Premier League survival alive and condemned West Ham United to the drop into the Championship.
Charles N'Zogbia was the hero of a remarkable turnaround in Wigan's fortunes with the second of two goals in the last minute of the crunch game clinching a 3-2 win which means they arrive at the Britannia Stadium with a chance of avoiding relegation.
A victory on the final day of the 2010-11 campaign would offer them genuine hope of climbing out of the bottom Premier League's drop zone, but a point may be sufficient if both Blackpool and Birmingham City lose their difficult away matches.
Roberto Martinez will draw encouragement from the way his side have performed in the run-in to the end of the season which has given them a fighting chance of staying in the top-flight after being in the thick of the relegation battle all season.
As well as being unbeaten in their last three matches, the Latics have won three and drawn three of their last eight matches since the newly-crowned champions Manchester United romped to a 4-0 victory at the DW Stadium at the end of February.
Wigan have claimed creditable draws in their meetings with Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Aston Villa, but more importantly their three triumphs in that sequence of results have been over relegation rivals Birmingham, Blackpool and West Ham.
N'Zogbia has played a crucial role in his side's battle for survival with five goals in as many games including the double strike against the Hammers seven days ago, all of which has underlined the fact that he is one of the Club's most valuable assets.
Wigan have been embroiled in the relegation battle since their season got off to the worst possible start as a four-goal drubbing inflicted by Blackpool was followed by a 6-0 defeat at Chelsea where they had been beaten 8-0 three months earlier.
But their unpredictable form has also seen them pull off some unlikely successes, most notably their early-season win at Tottenham Hotspur, but there have been other occasions against other big clubs where they have looked anything but relegation battlers.
Therefore, they will go into this afternoon's game with genuine hope that they can perform the great escape and continue their only run in the top-flight of English football which began when they were promoted from the Championship six years ago.
MEETTHEGAFFER:
ROBERTO MARTINEZ has already gained a considerable amount of experience in management for someone so young . . . and he will be hoping to add the achievement of keeping Wigan Athletic in the Premier League to that record this afternoon.
The 37-year-old Spaniard was two years into his first managerial post with Swansea City when he was lined up as the successor to Steve Bruce in the summer of 2009 and he subsequently returned to the Club where he had been a player for six years.
Martinez had quickly gained a reputation for being one of the best young managers in the game by guiding Swansea to the League One title in the 2007-08 season and he picked up the Manager of the Year Award for that Division as reward for that achievement.
The Swans first season in the second tier of English football also proved successful as Martinez led his side to a respectable eighth place finish as well as an excellent FA Cup run which saw them knock out the holders Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
At the end of that season, Martinez was offered the chance to take over at Wigan and he was handed a three year contract to succeed Bruce where he has found that life in the top-flight of English football can be a rollercoaster ride.
During his playing career as a midfielder, Wigan and Swansea were the two clubs where he had the longest spells and enjoyed the most success.
He made almost 200 appearances for the Latics after moving to England and then later he had three years with the Welsh club where he played 122 times. On top of that, he also had spells with Motherwell, Walsall and Chester City.
FASTFACTS:
* Wigan are the youngest club in the Premier League, having only been formed in 1932.
* Wigan's average attendance has increased from 1,854 in 1995 to 16,884 in 2010.
CLUBDETAILS
Founded: 1932
Nickname: The Latics
Stadium: DW Stadium
Capacity: 25,138
Owner: Dave Whelan
Chairman: Dave Whelan
Record League Victory: 7-1 vs. Scarborough, 11th March 1997
Record League Defeat: 1-9 vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 22nd November 2009
Record Transfer Paid: £6,000,000 for Charles N'Zogbia from Newcastle United, February 2009
Record Transfer Received: £16,000,000 for Antonio Valencia from Manchester United, June 2009
HEAD2HEAD:
League- Played 23, Won 9, Drew 9, Lost 5
FA Cup- Played 1, Won 1, Drew0, Lost 0
FLASHBACK:
Potters fans will recall memories from when their side upset the form book to secure 1-0 win over high flying Wigan at the then called JJB Stadium back in 2005.
The Latics were a side full of confidence and on course for promotion, looking to complete the double over Stoke after securing a 1-0 win at the Britannia Stadium back in November.
But Tony Pulis's side had other ideas and would inflict a 1-0 defeat on the hosts to secure their first win in six games.
Despite the hosts dominating proceedings and going close through Jimmy Bullard and Jason Roberts, it was the visitors who took an unlikely lead just before the interval.
Good build up play from the Potters resulted in Stoke skipper Clive Clarke squaring the ball to Gifton Noel-Williams, who slotted the ball home from just inside the area.
The Latics responded well and continued to create chances, but they could not find a way past an inspired Steve Simonsen and the Potters held firm to claim an impressive victory.
Stoke City: (4-4-2): Simonsen; Buxton, Taggart, Hill, Hall, Asaba, Eustace (Henry 47), Brammer, Clarke, Noel-Williams, Greenacre. Subs not used: de Goey, Neal, Gudjonsson, Gudmundsson.
Wigan Athletic: (4-4-2): Filan; Eaden, Thome, Jackson, Baines (Graham, 82), Teale (Johansson, 75), Bullard, Mahon, McCulloch, Roberts, Ellington. Subs not used: Walsh, Breckin, Jarrett.
OTHERMEETINGS:
* Goals from Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie were enough to ensure that the Potters claimed a 2-0 victory over Wigan in their final home game of the 2008/09 campaign.
* The December clash between the sides at the Britannia Stadium produced one of the most entertaining games in the Potteries so far this season as Stoke battled back from behind twice to earn a point. Emmerson Boyce gave the Latics an early lead before Tuncay levelled matters just before half-time. Maynor Figueroa's wonder goal restored the visitors lead but Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross equalised just two minutes later. Thomas Sorensen was the late hero for the hosts as he saved a last minute spot-kick from Hugo Rodallega to ensure that the points were shared after a pulsating encounter.
FORMGUIDE:
Stoke City - DWDWLL
Aston Villa (a) Drew 1-1
Wolves (h) - Won 3-0
Blackpool (a) - Drew 0-0
Arsenal (h) - Won 3-1
Manchester City (Wembley) - Lost 0-1
Manchester City (a) - Lost 0-3
Wigan Athletic - LWLDDW
Chelsea (a) - Lost 0-1
Blackpool (a) - Won 3-1
Sunderland (a) - Lost 2-4
Everton (h) - Drew 1-1
Aston Villa (a) Drew 1-1
West Ham (h) - Won 3-2
TEAMNEWS:
TONY Pulis will check on a number of injury doubts before finalising his line-up . . . but he hopes to send out his strongest possible side.
Robert Huth, Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant head the list of concerns, but checks will also be needed on Kenwyne Jones and Glenn Whelan.
Roberto Martinez has a clean bill of health and must decide whether to start with Victor Moses and Conor Samman who played a big part in the fightback against West Ham United last weekend.
MATCHOFFICIALS:
Referee: Andre Marriner
Linesmen: Andy Garratt and Scott Ledger
Fourth Official: Lee Mason
STOKECITYFC.COM:
If you can't get to the game then stokecityfc.com is the next best place to be.
We'll have the full line-ups as soon as they are handed over by Assistant Manager Dave Kemp, live minute-to-minute coverage throughout game, a full and in-depth match report right on the full-time whistle, along with plenty of post-match reaction.
With Stoke City Player you'll also be able to listen to live full-match commentary with Nigel Johnson and the boys from an hour before kick off - the only website that allows you to do so while helping the club financially at the same time.
Stoke City Player will also have extended highlights of the game 24 hours after the final whistle along with video reaction from the men that matter.
TICKETNEWS:
