Preview: Arsenal v. Wigan Athletic

Arsenal has played Wigan so much in the past two months, I've exhausted the pictures to use.
So, here's Gunnersaurus. Enjoy! Free use image via Wikipedia.

Emirates Stadium, London

Saturday, January 22

3:00 p.m. GMT, 10:00 a.m. EST

• Referee: Kevin Friend
• This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 4 - 0 Wigan
• Reverse Fixture: Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal
• All-Time in All Competitions: 11 Arsenal wins, 2 Wigan wins, 2 draws
• Arsenal's Recent Form: L-W-D-W-D-W
• Wigan's Recent Form: D-W-D-L-D-D

Predicted Line-Up

guesses in red

Szczesny

Sagna - Koscielny - Djourou - Clichy

Song - Wilshere

Walcott - Fabregas - Nasri

van Persie

Subs from: Shea, Gibbs, Eboue, Denilson, Arshavin, Bendtner, Chamakh

Out: Fabianski (shoulder), Squillaci (hamstring), Diaby (calf), Almunia (ankle), Vermaelen (Achilles)

Arsenal News and Notes

• With no new injuries to the main starting XI, why assume there'll be changes? Though, I'm not positive how many times Arsene Wenger will keep starting Johan Djourou consecutively.
• Denilson (hip) and Marouane Chamakh (knee) picked up knocks in the midweek win at Leeds, but are expected to recover for Saturday.
• Abou Diaby and Sebastien Squillaci remain a week away from returning from their respective injuries.
• Apparently, Lukasz Fabianski's shoulder injury now "requires patience." I'm thus far quite satisfied with Wojciech Szczesny's deputizing, aren't you?
• Thomas Vermaelen will return in six weeks, after a procedure to remove an injured tendon that apparently some people don't even have, or something.
• Manuel Almunia? Anybody?
• Arsenal have won two straight and have lost once in their last eight across all competitions; they are unbeaten in five in the league, with two draws.
• Arsenal have not lost at home since that early morning we're not going to speak about again.

Wigan News and Notes

• Victor Moses has returned to training as of yesterday, but will not be back until next month. Moses injured his shoulder in the Carling Cup against Arsenal.
• Wigan will likely be without Tom Cleverley (hamstring) and Franco Di Santo (ankle) as well.
• Despite facing a battle against relegation, Wigan Athletic under Roberto Martinez is not the type of side that plays negative football. Wigan tends to play a strict 4-5-1 formation with Hugo Rodallega as the center forward.
• Wigan, like Arsenal have only lost once in their last eight competitive fixtures, but they have drawn five of them. Their only loss in this stretch was a 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle.
• Wigan is even on points with Aston Villa, but sit in 18th place, and thus, the drop zone, because the Latics have scored five fewer goals. They are even on points and goal difference.

Match Facts

• Wigan have never picked up a point at the Emirates, but they did knock Arsenal out of the Carling Cup in 2006 on away goals, despite losing the match itself.
• In late November, Arsenal beat Wigan 2-0 at the Emirates to knock the Latics out of the Carling Cup. Antolin Alcaraz gave Arsenal an own goal before Nicklas Bendtner sealed the win.
• Wigan used a late equalizer from a Squillaci own goal to steal a point from Arsenal at the DW Stadium in late December. Arshavin and Bendtner had Arsenal's goals.
• Last year, Arsenal beat Wigan 4-0 in league play at home. Vermaelen had a brace; Eduardo and Cesc Fabregas scored the others.

The Referee

• The referee is Leicestershire-based Kevin Friend.
• Last season was Friend's first in the top flight. He has split his time between the Premier League and Championship this year.
• This is the first time Friend will take charge of an Arsenal match. He is the third official to work his first Arsenal match this year after Stuart Atwell (4-1 win vs. Bolton) and Michael Oliver (3-2 loss to West Brom.)
• For Wigan, Friend has taken charge of their 2-0 win over Swansea in the League Cup, and their 2-1 loss at Blackburn in the league.
• In 19 games this year (8 Premier League, 8 Championship, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup,) Friend has shown 61 yellow cards and 3 red cards.

Around the League

• These are the reverse fixtures of those played December 28-29.
• Saturday: Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Liverpool; Molineux, Wolverhampton
• Saturday: Blackpool v. Sunderland; Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
• Saturday: Everton v. West Ham United; Goodison Park, Liverpool
• Saturday: Fulham v. Stoke City; Craven Cottage, London
• Saturday: Manchester United v. Birmingham City; Old Trafford, Manchester
• Saturday: Newcastle United v. Tottenham Hotspur; St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Saturday: Aston Villa v. Manchester City; Villa Park, Birmingham
• Sunday: Blackburn Rovers v. West Bromwich Albion; Ewood Park, Blackburn
• Monday: Bolton Wanderers v. Chelsea; Reebok Stadium, Bolton