Wigan Athletic V Liverpool
Football : England : Premier League
Monday 8th March 2010 – Kickoff 8pm

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Two teams going in opposite directions meet in Monday night football. Wigan are a club clearly in crisis, while Liverpool appear to now be making that final push for 4th after a season to forget.

Wigan Athletic

Wigan have been suffering a sharp decline in form, with just the solitary win in their last 8, and just 2 overall in their last 17. They are just a point above the drop now and staring relegation square in its ugly face.

Manager Roberto Martinez has a really big problem with his team here, as Wigans home form does nothing for their confidence. The Latics have performed more poorly at home than on their travels. In Wigan's last 14 games, the only win has come away at Wolves, and the last home win was a 1-0 result against Sunderland, all of 3 months ago!

Wigan are now 6 games without a win at the DW Stadium, and they now face a Liverpool side that has finally found their feet.

While the Wigan defence continues to remain weak, it’s the forwards that have really let this team down. It’s now been more than 280 minutes since Wigan last scored, that’s over 4 and a half games! And the last time they actually managed more than one goal was in a 2-0 win at Wolves back in January.

Wasting chances against Liverpool just won’t work, as the scousers are bound to score at least a couple, now that they have Torres back in the side.

The only thing Wigan can be happy about is the normally terrible pitch, which will have been relaid in time for the game. While this means Wigan can play better, it also means Liverpool can play the way they like too, and I know who I fancy if that is the case.

Liverpool

Liverpool have been given a huge boost by the return of Fernando Torres. The Spaniard’s searing pace up front has been sorely missed, and last week saw the frontman score on his return, a mere 5 minutes into entering the game.

Over the past couple of months, Liverpool have slowly stopped getting thumped by inferior opposition, and have been fighting their way to narrow wins. At Wigan, they will have the chance to really let fly, and could well score 2 or 3 against the helpless Latics. Stevie Gerrard performed well in midweek, captaining the England side in a 3-1 win over Egypt.

The last match was a confidence booster for Liverpool, beating Blackburn despite the roughhouse tactics employed by the Rovers. Wigan won’t be able to try that, and if they fall behind early, expect Torres to tear the back four apart with ease as Wigan try and keep up.

The Betting Verdict :

This game is a must win for Liverpool if they are to retain their top 4 status and compete in Europe’s premier competition next year.

Torres is back and I fancy him to lead by example, scoring in what will surely be a Liverpool win. Wigans nightmare continues.

The Statistics :

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Take Liverpool to win @ 1.65 (Pinnacle) - main bet

Consider a couple of Torres Bets:
Try Torres to score 2 or more goals @ 5.00 (PaddyPower)
Or Torres to score first @ 4.00 (Bet365)

HANDICAP BETTING :

Consider Liverpool (AH -1) @ 2.10 (Bet365)