Wigan Athletic match preview

WIGAN ATHLETIC V WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER 2012
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: JONATHAN MOSS

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Introduction

• West Ham United travel to the DW Stadium on Saturday to face Wigan Athletic knowing a win could take them into the Barclays Premier League top four. The Hammers start the weekend in seventh, having taken 14 points from eight games. Wigan are 16th with five points from the same number of games played.

• The two sides have already met once this season. West Ham United's Capital One Cup campaign came to an end at the Boleyn Ground when the Latics earned a 4-1 third-round win on 25 September.That fixture was the first-ever League Cup meeting between the two sides and the 19th meeting overall.

• Sam Allardyce's side are chasing their first back-to-back Barclays Premier League victories since overcoming Liverpool and Stoke City in February/March 2011. Big Sam's team have played just three away games this season, winning 2-1 at Queens Park Rangers last time out on 1 October, losing 3-0 at Swansea City on 25 August and drawing 0-0 at Norwich City on 15 September.

• West Ham United have not won consecutive away Barclays Premier League fixtures since Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough in December 2007.

• Roberto Martinez's side have yet to win a Barclays Premier League game at home this season and have taken just two points from a possible 12.

• Nineteen goals have been scored in the last four matches between the two sides. The most-recent Premier League fixture between the two sides saw Wigan Athletic relegate West Ham United by defeating the Hammers 3-2 at the DW Stadium on 15 May 2011. 

• Mohamed Diame could face his former club for the first time if selected after being rested for the 4-1 Capital One Cup loss to Wigan Athletic at the Boleyn Ground in September.

• West Ham United's clash with Wigan Athletic is one of six Barclays Premier League matches on Saturday. The others are as follows: (kick-off 3pm unless stated) Aston Villa v Norwich City (12.45pm), Arsenal v Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City v Swansea City (5.30pm), Reading v Fulham and Stoke City v Sunderland.


Last time out

Saturday 20 October 2012
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 4-1 Southampton
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, McCartney, Nolan, Tomkins (Spence 88), Collins, Jarvis, Benayoun, Noble, Diame (O'Neil 68), Carroll (Maiga 82).
Goals: Noble 46, 72, Nolan 48, Maiga 87.

Saturday 20 October 2012
Barclays Premier League
Swansea City 2-1 Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic: Al Habsi, Caldwell, Boyce, Ramis, Figueroa (Watson 71), McCarthy, Maloney, McArthur (Boselli 83), Beausejour, Kone, Di Santo (Gomez 83).
Goals: Boyce 69.


Previous meeting

• West Ham United's last meeting with Wigan Athletic came just one month ago in the Capital One Cup and ended in defeat. Modibo Maiga gave the Hammers the perfect start by opening the scoring after seven minutes but the visitors leveled through Mauro Boselli shortly after. Ivan Ramis, who was touted to join the Hammers in the summer, powered home with seven minutes remaining in the half before Boselli got his second on 41 minutes. The young Hammers were unable to claw back the deficit and on 84 minutes their fate was sealed when Jordi Gomez converted from the penalty spot. The line-ups that day were:

West Ham United: Henderson, McCartney, Tomkins, Spence, Potts, Jarvis, Noble (Taylor 72), O'Neil (Tombides 84), Maiga, Vaz Te (Fanimo 62), Hall.

Wigan Athletic: Al Habsi, Caldwell, Ramis, Stam, Lopez, Figueroa, Jones, McArthur (Fyvie 85), McManaman (Gomez 74), Boselli (Orsula 90), Miyaichi.


Background

• West Ham United have faced Wigan Athletic just 19 times and they hold the edge, winning ten of the encounters. Wigan have won seven with two ending in draws.

• West Ham United's biggest win over Wigan Athletic came in the 2003/04 season, Kevin Horlock opened the scoring after four minutes and an own goal from Jason Jarrett made it 2-0 before half-time. Marlon Harewood added a brace in the second half, scoring his second from the spot, to give the Hammers a 4-0 Division One win at the Boleyn Ground on 29 November 2003.

• Wigan Athletic's biggest win in the fixture came at the Boleyn Ground earlier this season when they won 4-1 in the Capital One Cup third round. Prior to that result, their biggest win came in the 2004/05 season when the Latics secured a 3-1 Championship win on 15 August 2004. Nathan Ellington scored a brace with Jason Roberts scoring in-between. Bobby Zamora pulled one back for the Hammers but it was nothing more than a consolation.


Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)

25 September 2012 - West Ham United 1-4 Wigan Athletic (Capital One Cup third round)
15 May 2011- Wigan Athletic 3-2 West Ham United
27 November 2010 - West Ham United 3-1 Wigan Athletic
24 April 2010 - West Ham United 3-2 Wigan Athletic
12 September 2009 - Wigan Athletic 1-0 West Ham United
4 March 2009 - Wigan Athletic 1-0 West Ham United

Overall record v Wigan Athletic (all competitions) W 10 D 2 L 7


Ten-year record

West Ham United

2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Division One 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Division One)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)

Wigan Athletic

2011/12 Premier League 15th (43 points)
2010/11 Premier League 16th (42 points)
2009/10 Premier League 16th (36 points)
2008/09 Premier League 11th (45 points)
2007/08 Premier League 14th (40 points)
2006/07 Premier League 17th (38 points)
2005/06 Premier League 10th (51 points)
2004/05 Championship 2nd (87 points - promoted to the Premier League)
2003/04 Division One 7th (71 points)
2002/03 Division Two 1st (100 points - promoted to Division One)
2001/02 Division Two 10th (64 points)


Referee

• Saturday's referee will be Jonathan Moss.

• Moss has take charge of two previous West Ham United matches, both last season in the npower Championship, overseeing the 2-1 away defeat to Derby County and the 3-3 Boleyn Ground draw with Birmingham City.

• Headteacher Moss was promoted to the Select Group of Referees in June 2011.

• He initially progressed through the Northern Counties East League and Northern Premier League before being promoted to the National Group of Assistant Referees in 2003.

• He took charge of the 2005 Conference Play-Off final between Carlisle United and Stevenage and was then promoted to the National Group of Referees.


Team news

• For West Ham United, Joey O'Brien has returned to fitness following a hamstring problem and is expected to feature but Matty Taylor (calf) and Guy Demel (groin) are unlikely to recover in time.

• Jack Collison will not play after missing the start of the season as he continues to manage his long-term knee issues, while Alou Diarra is out with a thigh problem.

• Ricardo Vaz Te will also be missing after surgery on a dislocated shoulder ruled him out of action for three months.

• Matthias Fanimo, Leo Chambers, Rob Hall and Jordan Spence could also feature and were all selected in Sam Allardyce's squad for last weekend's victory over Southampton, with Spence coming off the bench.

• Wigan Athletic will give a late fitness test to Japan midfielder Riyo Miyaichi (groin), but Spanish midfielder Albert Crusat (knee) and Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz (groin) are both missing.


Old boys

• Mohamed Diame is in line to face his former club. The Senegal international made 103 appearances for Wigan Athletic, scoring seven goals, over a period of three years between 2009 and 2012.

• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Jimmy Bullard, Roy Carroll, Henri Camara, David Unsworth and Bill Wade.

General Information

• Tickets still remain for trip to the DW Stadium and are available online, by phone and in person from the Alpari Stand Ticket Office until 3pm on Friday. They will also be available on the day from Turnstile P in the North Stand at the DW Stadium, priced £20 Adults, £15 Over-65s and £5 Under-16s. For full ticket details, click here.

• All coach travel spaces for this fixtures have sold out.

• The weather forecast for Saturday is fine but cold, turning cloudier with rain as the day progresses, with a maximum temperature of 7C (45F).