Hipster Gooner: Preview: Wigan Athletic v. Arsenal

Arsenal beat Wigan a month ago to advance in the Carling Cup. Pic via Daily Mail.

DW Stadium, Wigan

Wednesday, December 29

7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. EST

Predicted Line-Up

this is almost all guesswork

Fabianski

Sagna - Koscielny - Djourou - Clichy

Song - Wilshere

Walcott - Nasri - Arshavin

Chamakh

Subs from: Szczesny, Squillaci, Eboue, Diaby, Denilson, Van Persie, Bendtner

Suspended: Fabregas (one match, accumulation)

Out: Gibbs (ankle), Almunia (ankle), Vermaelen (Achilles)

Arsenal News and Notes

Arsenal will be wearing their yellow change kit, for reasons I can't figure out. Against Everton, I'm pretty sure it was because of the Remembrance Day poppies also being red. This time, I don't know. Could they not do the laundry in time for the trip?
Arsenal are in the middle of a stretch of 4 matches in 10 days, meaning that this seems like a logical time for Arsene Wenger to rotate the squad. This is why our predicted line-up is such guesswork.
Cesc Fabregas, finally back to 100% fitness, will serve a one match ban; he picked up his fifth yellow card of the year yesterday against Chelsea.
The injured list remains the same: Almunia may never be back at this rate, Gibbs is back in early January, and Vermaelen might be back later in the month.
Arsenal have not drawn a match since September, a string of 21 straight matches with a result.
Arsenal have won five matches away from home. Only Manchester City has won more away from home, six, though they have the benefit of having played an extra road fixture.

Wigan News and Notes

Wigan's most key injury is Victor Moses, who dislocated his shoulder in the League Cup at Arsenal, after twenty minutes of running circles around Emmanuel Eboue.
Emmerson Boyce is a doubt with a hamstring gash.
Franco Di Santo (ankle) is out until around New Year's; James McCarthy (ankle) is out until later in January.
Wigan are coming off a huge 2-1 win over Wolves on Boxing Day in a relegation six-pointer. The Latics have removed themselves from the drop zone and sat in 16th place entering this round of fixtures.
Wigan are unbeaten in three, with two draws coming before that win over Wolves. Their last loss in all competitions was the 2-0 League Cup loss at Arsenal in late November.

Match Facts

Arsenal have beaten Wigan 11 times in 14 meetings, a history that only dates back to 2005.
Both of Wigan's wins against Arsenal and their one draw came at home.
Last year, Arsenal beat Wigan 4-0 at the Emirates, but collapsed late in Wigan, blowing a 2-0 lead at 80 minutes only to lose 3-2.
Arsenal did defeat Wigan a month ago, 2-0 in the League Cup, at the Emirates.
Last year, Wigan beat Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool at home.

The Referee

The referee is Gloucestershire-based Lee Probert.
The only Arsenal match Probert has taken charge of this season was their 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup. Probert correctly awarded Arsenal two penalties, converted by Samir Nasri, in the opening ten minutes of extra time.
Two days before that match was the only Wigan match Probert has taken charge of this year, a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City.
In 15 matches this season (12 Premier League, 1 League Cup, and 2 Championship), Probert has shown 46 yellow cards and 4 red cards.
The away side has only won three of those 15 matches: Manchester City twice and the aforementioned Arsenal win.

Around the League

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