Arsenal vs Wigan Althetic: Statistical Preview, Form Guide & Head-To-Head

An important match at both ends of the table at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday sees Arsenal needing 3 points to overtake Tottenham for the final Champions League place, and Wigan Athletic needing a win to give them a chance of avoiding relegation to the Championship.

The 2013 FA Cup winners cannot afford a hangover from their success on Saturday if they want to be playing Premier League football next season. They have already secured a joint-Premier League record with Coventry City in finishing in the bottom half for seven successive seasons. It was unlucky number seven for the Sky Blues back in 2001 when they were relegated from the top flight. Roberto Martinez will be hoping his side don’t suffer the same fate.

Antolin Alcaraz returned to the first team on Saturday as Wigan kept their sixth clean sheet in the 12 league and FA Cup games the Paraguayan centre-back has started this season. In the 31 league and FA Cup games without Alcaraz this season, Wigan have kept just 4 clean sheets.

Form

Arsenal – WDWDW
Theo Walcott’s goal on 20 seconds was enough for an unconvincing Arsenal side to take 3 points from their trip to Queens Park Rangers last weekend. Arsenal have scored exactly one goal in each of their last three games since being held 0-0 at home by Everton. Their 3-1 win over Norwich City five games ago was the last time they scored more than one in a game.

Arsenal have won 6 of their last 8 in the Premier League, being held only by Everton and Manchester United during this run. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has kept 3 clean sheets in his four games since returning to the side with only a Robin van Persie penalty finding the back of the net in his lat 360 minutes of Premier League action.

Olivier Giroud serves the final game of his three-match ban. Lukas Podolski has started the last two games up front, with Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky supporting.

Wigan Athletic – LWDLL
A 3-2 home defeat by Swansea City in their last game has put them on the verge of relegation. Defeat for the Latics on Tuesday and they will be playing in the Championship next season.

This game kicks off little more than 72 hours after Wigan Athletic became the 43rd different winner of the FA Cup, causing a shock in the final against Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City. The celebrations may be cut short if their defence doesn’t hold out the Arsenal attack.

Wigan have lost only three of their last nine Premier League away games.

Head-to-head

Wigan were 2-1 winners at the Emirates on a Monday night in April last season. Franco Di Santo and Jordi Gomez had given Roberto Martinez’s side a 2-0 lead inside 8 minutes and they were able to hold out for the final 70 minutes after Thomas Vermaelen had pulled one back.

Arsenal have won 3 of their last 4 games against Wigan Athletic, including a 1-0 win at the DW Stadium before Christmas. Mikel Arteta’s penalty on the hour was the only goal of the game, at the time leaving Wigan in the relegation zone on goal difference.

Premier League stats

Absentees

Arsenal
Olivier Giroud (suspended)
Abou Diaby (injured)

Wigan Athletic
Maynor Figueroa (injured)
Ryo Miyaichi (ineligible)
Ivan Ramis (injured)
Ronnie Stam (injured)

Written by Barrie