Wigan Athletic

Mid-season report: Wigan Athletic

By Liam Power, Reporter | 28 December 2012

Sports Mole takes a look at Wigan Athletic's gradual slide towards the relegation zone as Roberto Martinez gears up for another fight to beat the drop.

Wigan Athletic went into the 2012-13 campaign on a high after defying the odds to beat relegation with a brilliant end to last season.

Latics boss Roberto Martinez surprised many by staying at the DW Stadium for another attempt to secure Premier League survival.

A quiet summer of transfer activity saw Arouna Kone signed to replace Hugo Rodallega and add some firepower to the Wigan squad.

Here, Sports Mole dissects a first half of the campaign which has seen Athletic gradually dragged into a relegation dogfight.

August

A difficult start to the season saw Wigan entertain Chelsea, with the Blues quickly building a 2-0 lead they preserved until the final whistle.

Wigan kick-started their campaign with a clinical 2-0 victory at newly-promoted Southampton, in a match which saw Kone open his Premier League account.

Mauro Boselli reminded Latics fans of his reputation prior to moving to England before August was over, bagging a brace in a comprehensive 4-1 win against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup.

September

A half-time lead against Stoke City failed to bring three points, as a Peter Crouch equaliser meant that September began with a 2-2 draw.

Wigan's awful record against Manchester United continued a fortnight later as the Latics slipped to a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

Rodallega came back to haunt his former club on his return to the DW to earn Fulham a rare away victory.

The League Cup provided a welcome distraction, with the Latics progressing via an emphatic 4-1 success away to West Ham United.

Sunderland made it three league defeats in a row three days later as Steven Fletcher scored the game's only goal.

October

The visit of Everton saw Franco di Santo and Kone back among the goals, but an 87th-minute penalty from Leighton Baines meant that the points were shared in a 2-2 draw.

Swansea City proved too strong as Wigan's struggles on the road continued at the Liberty Stadium. An in-form Michu did the damage in a 2-1 success for Michael Laudrup's men.

Wigan turned the tide a week later at home to West Ham United, with goals from Ivan Ramis and James McArthur earning the Latics their first league win since August.

Dreams of a trip to Wembley in the League Cup were shattered in the fourth round as League Two leaders Bradford City dumped Wigan out on penalties.

November

Wigan banished their away-day blues with a win at White Hart Lane, with Ben Watson's goal good enough to beat Tottenham Hotspur.

Hopes of a third successive victory were dashed by West Bromwich Albion, who did enough to keep their own fine form going at the DW Stadium.

Liverpool were next to inflict defeat on Martinez's side, with Luis Suarez bagging a brace in a 3-0 defeat.

The Latics got back to winning ways in a dramatic win over fellow strugglers Reading. Jordi Gomez took the plaudits with a hat-trick, which he completed with a stoppage-time winner.

Four days later a battling performance was in vain at home to Manchester City, as the reigning champions ran out 2-0 winners at the DW.

December

A horrible run of festive fixtures saw the Latics lose four out of five matches in December and drop into the relegation zone.

A theme of prominent refereeing decisions going against them began at Newcastle United, where Maynor Figueroa saw red after just 13 minutes in a 3-0 defeat.

James McCarthy provided some brief relief as his brace prevented Harry Redknapp from earning his first win as Queens Park Rangers boss in a topsy-turvy 2-2 draw.

Shaun Maloney's strike failed to prevent a 2-1 loss to Norwich City before a contentious Mikel Arteta penalty made it five games without a win at home to Arsenal.

Boxing Day provided little festive cheer at Goodison Park, with Martinez seething over a number of decisions in a narrow 2-1 loss at Everton.