Wigan v Liverpool

[Pomme de Sang]

Wigan
8 Mar 2010
20:00
Premier League

[Kathy]

Wigan v LFC: Pre-match pack

Here are all the important pre-match stats and facts ahead of Monday night's trip to Wigan.


Liverpool are looking to record a league double after defeating the Latics at Anfield in December.

In that game David Ngog gave the Reds an early lead and Fernando Torres came off the bench to make it 2-0 on his 100th appearance for the club. Charles N'Zogbia scored an injury time consolation for the visitors.

Last season the teams drew 1-1 at what is now called the DW Stadium. Yossi Benayoun scored first before Mido converted an 82nd minute penalty to give Wigan their first ever home point against Liverpool.

That is Wigan's only home league goal against the Reds.

A win will take the Reds into 4th place two points clear of Tottenham and Manchester City.

Liverpool's biggest league win came on this ground in December 2006 when they won 4-0 with all the goals coming in the first half.

Dirk Kuyt has scored more goals for Liverpool against Wigan than any other player. He has 5.

Only one player has scored a hat-trick for Liverpool against Wigan. Steve Staunton in a League Cup tie in 1989 became the first substitute in Liverpool's history to score three goals in a game.

Yossi Benayoun scored his first league goal for Liverpool on this ground in September 2007. It proved to be the only goal of the game.

Meanwhile, Albert Riera opened his account for the Reds against Wigan at Anfield in October 2008 in a 3-2 win.

The Reds have scored in all nine league meetings between the sides.

In all competitions this season Liverpool have kept seven clean sheets in 21 away games.

Fernando Torres is just one goal short of equalling his league tally of last season. He scored 14 goals in 24 appearances (four of those as a sub) while he has netted 13 in 15 starts plus two substitute appearances (17 in total) this term.

A Liverpool win will be their third in succession - best run since September.

They have not conceded more than once in any of the last ten games.

Wigan have never led against Liverpool at any stage of a home league game.

Hugo Rodallega made his Wigan debut as a substitute in this fixture last season.

Wigan have picked up just two points out of 27 in their league history against the Reds. They came in 1-1 draws at came at Anfield in January 2008 and at Wigan in January 2009.

The Latics have not won in the last seven league games and nine in all competitions since winning 2-0 at Wolves in January.

At home they have not won in the last five since beating Hull in the F.A. Cup Third Round.

In the league in front of their own fans they have picked up just three points in the last six games since winning 1-0 against Sunderland with Hugo Rodallega scoring.

In their 13 league games at home in this campaign they have won three, beating West Ham, Chelsea and Sunderland.

In all competitions, Wigan have kept only two clean sheets in the last 16 games.

They have played 346 minutes (5 hours 46 minutes) since their last goal - Paul Scharner scored in a 1-1 home draw with Stoke last month.

In the last 14 matches they have found the net twice in the first half.

Hugo Rodallega has missed two of his three penalties this season - both saved - at Stoke and Wolves.

Their last outing saw them lose 1-0 at Birmingham while they were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham in their last home game.

Wigan's best ever finish to a Premier League season saw them finish 10th in their debut season - 2005-06.

Current League Positions: (before weekend)
Liverpool: Pld 28 Won 14 Drawn 6 Lost 8 Goals For 45 Against 28 Points 48 Position: 6th
Wigan: Pld 27 Won 6 Drawn 7 Lost 14 Goals For 26 Against 53 Points 25 Position: 16th

Scorers this season:
Liverpool: Torres 13 (13), Kuyt 10 (9), Gerrard 8 (6), Benayoun 7 (5), Ngog 7 (4), Babel 4 (2), Johnson 2 (2), Mascherano 2 (1), Insua 1 (0), Kyrgiakos 1 (1), Skrtel 1 (1), own goals 2 (1).
Wigan: Rodallega 7 (7), N'Zogbia 6 (4), Scharner 4 (4), Boyce 3 (3), McCarthy 2 (1), Sinclair 2 (1), Amaya 1 (0), Bramble 1 (1), Caldwell 1 (1), Diame 1 (1), Figueroa 1 (1), Gomez 1 (1), Koumas 1 (1), Scotland 1 (0), Watson 1 (0).

Author: Ged Rea

[Jen]

Hope we win this...I also hope the test I have to take tomorrow doesn't last too long so I can catch some of the game :/

[Jen]

Second half just started, I missed the whole first half. We're loosing 1-0 and it doesn't sounds like we have been playing well at all :-/

[Jen]

Yossi off...Aquilani on! Good to him playing, and getting 20 minutes too! I hope he does well.

[Jen]

THIS SUCKS SO FUCKING MUCH! WE LOST, TOO WIGAN...OUR 9TH LOSS OF THE SEASON. WTFFFFF

I SERIOUSLY FEEL LIKE CRYING RIGHT NOW, WE LOST TO POMPY, WE LOST TO SUNDERLAND, NOW WIGAN. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US :(

[Engerid]

So we lost. Again. That's pretty much all we've done this season it feels like. I've having a rather numb feeling towards it all now.

Oh well, there's always the next match.

[Pomme de Sang]

I have been busy and running all day. I fully expected us to win. Gutted. But WTF with all the yellow cards? That's insane. And not like us.

[Kathy]

I really thought we'd win this one. I'm starting to get worried that we won't finish fourth.