Prediction: Wigan vs Aston Villa

17th December 2010

After escaping Goodison Park with one point, Wigan aim to end the four-match winless run and finally leave the relegation zone. Aston Villa ended the barren run of results as they won the West Midlands derby against West Brom and the Villans now want to improve their poor record on the travels.

Wigan enter this match in good spirits having picked up one point from a difficult game against Everton but Roberto Martinez has no reason for optimism as the team’s performance at Goodison was no better than the ones that had put them in this situation in the first place. In all fairness to the Latics, they were forced to endure with injuries to star players from the very start of the league campaign, but that cannot be considered an excuse for the under-par performances. Even their DW Stadium is no longer considered a fortress after Wigan won just two out of nine home games this term, scoring eight and conceding seventeen goals in the process. The injuries continue to mount for Roberto Martinez before the Aston Villa clash, with Boyce, Di Santo, McCarthy and Moses still sidelined, while Gary Caldwell and Tom Cleverley will have to pass fitness tests before given permission to play. Thomas Hendry and Maynor Figeroua are suspended for this clash, which only adds to the worries.

Aston Villa were always going to have problems this term after long-serving manager Martin O’Neill left the club, and they have only recently started to recover from the poor start of the season. To add insult to injury, several key players picked up serious injuries in the early stages of the season and that only made things more difficult for boss Gerard Houllier. Villa went on to lose four straight games in all competitions during the last few weeks, but they ended the dismal run with a morale boosting victory over rivals West Brom, and that could easily be the game that kick-starts their season. Gerard Houllier was delighted to see Emile Heskey and Nigel Reo-Coker back in action against West Brom, while Stiliyan Petrov, Steve Sidwell and Fabian Delph are also nearing their return from injuries. Ciaran Clark is also back after serving his suspension against West Brom and he, together with fellow youngsters Hogg, Albrighton and Bannan, has shown a great deal of potential in deputizing for the first team regulars.

Conclusion

The Latics are completely out of form and are missing almost half of the start line-up, which will be too big a problem when pitted against revived Villa side. The Villans have returned to winning ways and have some important players back to contention, meaning the soccer betting odds offered on away win are definitely worth a shot.

Verdict: Away win Aston Villa (2)

Best Odds: 7/4

Bookmaker: Victor Chandler