Wigan v Man Utd

Wigan vs Manchester United Preview

Following three defeats on the trot, Wigan Athletic will have been relieved to bounce back with a win and a draw in their subsequent two matches, the latter being a 1-1 draw away from home at Barnsley in League One on New Years Day, while Manchester United's ordinary campaign continued last time out as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat away from home at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

A 2-0 home win against Carlisle United followed by the aforementioned point away from home at Oakwell have come at just about the right time for Wigan Athletic who will be attempting to produce an upset in this FA Cup third round tie at the DW Stadium and the hosts know that their opponents are just a shadow of their former selves which gives The Latics a chance here.

However, previous defeats at the hands of Port Vale, Reading and Derby County suggest the hosts may face a tough task in keeping Manchester United quiet on Monday night, especially considering the visitors will be eager to set the record straight here at the DW Stadium.

The bigger picture shows Wigan Athletic have lost just these three games in their last 14 matches overall in all competitions and includes wins against Exeter City and York City respectively in the previous two rounds of this cup competition.

Manchester United succumbed to a fourth defeat in six matches when they were handed a 2-1 defeat by lowly Nottingham Forest at the City Ground and although the Red Devils registered a 3-2 home win against Aston Villa prior to that loss, the visitors had also been dealt previous losses to the likes of Bournemouth, Bayern Munich and West Ham as well.

The pressure is therefore increasing upon Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and another defeat away from home at Wigan Athletic in this third round tie in the FA Cup, whilst being unthinkable, would inch the Dutchman closer to the proverbial chopping block.

The bigger picture shows United have managed to capture just two wins from their previous nine games overall in all competitions and it's interesting to note that both of these wins were recorded on home soil at Old Trafford with the earlier win being a 2-1 win against Chelsea, but results away from home have been poor by United's standards.

ten Hag's side have managed to accumulate just four wins out of their last 14 matches on their travels whilst also slipping to eight defeats so this upcoming cup-tie against Wigan Athletic may just be the prefect opportunity to regain some confidence.

Wigan Athletic v Manchester United Verdict

Despite holding home advantage, Wigan Athletic still face the daunting prospect of a visit from Manchester United who should still get the job done here on Monday night.

Therefore, our main bet will be BTTS No @ 1.70

Other side bets worth considering:

Manchester Utd win & Under 2.5 goals @ 3.60

Correct Score: Manchester Utd 2-0 @ 6.50