English Premier League – Match Preview: Birmingham City versus Wigan Athletic
Birmingham City play Wigan Athletic on Saturday at the Saint Andrew’s stadium in England, in what is scheduled to be the sixth match of the English Premier League season for both the teams. Wigan have had an extremely horrendous start
to their English Premier League season, already in the bottom half of the table and already looking like a team which does not have what it takes to survive amongst English football’s big boys, Roberto Martinez’s men have a long and hard season ahead of them
after their start.
In the 2009 summer window, Wigan parted ways with Antonio Valencia, who was sold by the Latics to Manchester United for a transfer fee of around sixteen million pounds. In doing so they gave away their creative influence on the right
wing, their source of inspiration and ever since then they have been struggling to make a mark in the English Premier League. Last season’s campaign was a woeful one for Martinez’s men as they finished in the bottom half of the table worryingly close to the
relegated teams in the 18th, 19th and 20th positions respectively.
Wigan’s opening game of the 2010-2011 encounter was against the new comers Blackpool. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to start off the English Premier League season on the front foot by getting a comprehensive victory over
the championship’s new boys; however it turned into a disaster for Wigan as they underestimated the Blackpool side. In the end, the Seasiders ended up as eventual winners by four goals to nil. Given the fact that the game was held at the DW Stadium which is
Wigan’s home ground, it was even more hurtful to their own fans.
Following that loss, Wigan faced Chelsea in the second match of the season in which they were battered six nil by the English Premier League champions, this result was an expected one but the next one certainly wasn’t. Against Tottenham
Hotspurs, at the White Hart Lane, Wigan ended up as winners of the contest by a solitary goal.
Their performance against Spurs was a solid one, which gave their fans some hope with regard to the team’s competitive nature in league football. After winning against Spurs, Roberto Martinez’s team achieved a well fought draw at
the Stadium of Light against Sunderland then in their latest English Premier League game they lost to Manchester City at the DW Stadium by two goals to nil.
Conversely, Birmingham City have come a long way ever since their promotion to the English Premier League. Firstly touted as relegation fodder, Alex McLeish’s side have improved massively and are being held in high regard this season
by table topping teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea.
Their rise as a unit has been due to their improved ability to hold their own in big matches and also control the game against teams with lesser skill and guile than them. Despite that fact that Birmingham lost their last English
Premier League game to their mid-lands rivals West Bromwich Albion, McLeish’s men have done themselves proud so far.
They achieved a draw against Liverpool in their fourth match of a season but in honesty that game wouldn’t ended in a win for the City fans if it had not been for Pepe Reina’s heroic saves throughout the match. As Birmingham take
on Wigan, they will view this tie as a one that they can definitely win even though it is not being at their home stadium.
Craig Gardener along with Cameron Jerome are the main men for Birmingham City while Wigan will be looking towards Charles N’Zogbia and Hugo Rodallega to get fire them through to a victory at the DW Stadium.
Tags: