This Week's Opposition: Wigan Athletic

With no midweek fixture for the Blues this time around we head straight back into Saturday league action. Wigan Athletic pose as the opponents for matchday number 10 of this SkyBet League One campaign.

Last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Lincoln City at Fratton Park marked a 20th successive league game unbeaten for Pompey, who last tasted a league defeat back in March.

John Mousinho will be hoping his side’s appetite is still strong for their trip to the DW Stadium… Here’s more on a Latics side that has had a mixed start to the season.

MANAGER

Wigan are led by one of their former midfielders, Shaun Maloney.

The now 40-year-old played for the club between 2011 and 2015, helping them to win The FA Cup against the odds in 2013, defeating Manchester City in added time at Wembley to lift the trophy.

Since then, Maloney had gone on to play for Chicago Fire in the United States before returning to England and plying his trade for Hull City, where he hung up his boots in 2017.

Before his first managerial appointment at Hibernian in December 2021, Maloney undertook coaching roles at Celtic and the Belgian National team.

He was announced as Wigan’s new boss in January of this year, since such time he has been able to record just 9 wins from 28 competitive games in charge.

ONE TO WATCH

You may recognise this name from a match we covered back in August… 20-year-old Martial Godo is our one to watch this weekend.

The midfielder only signed for Wigan on a season-long loan on September the 1st, having played at Fratton Park already this season in a Papa John’s Trophy Group Stage thriller for the Fulham Under-21s.

He scored the 2nd of 3 Fulham goals on that night underneath the floodlights at PO4 and his performance then, as well as in the Premier League 2, clearly caught the attention of Wigan’s scouting team.

Now representing The Latics by wearing the number 17 shirt, Godo has made 2 appearances so far - Both times named in the starting XI in respective League One encounters with Cambridge United and Bristol Rovers.

TOP SCORER

With 6 league goals to his name already in the league this season, 30-year-old Charlie Wyke is currently Wigan’s leading scorer.

The former Carlisle United, Bradford City and Sunderland man signed for The Latics on a 3-year deal in the summer of 2021, scoring his first 2 goals in a 4-1 victory over Accrington Stanley on the 18th of September of that same year.

His most recent goal was an equaliser against Bristol Rovers in their most recent outing, however Wigan ended up losing that match.

Wyke currently wears the number 9 shirt.

CURRENT FORM

It’s proving difficult to decipher whereabouts Wigan’s fortunes lie this season.

Typically the club tend to do well in the 3rd division given recent experiences at this level, irrespective of whatever off-field trouble they have found themselves in.

However on this occasion, The Latics have so far been deducted 8 points this season, meaning they sit in 21st position and therefore the relegation zone, having just 5 points to their name after 8 games played.

Although if you were to reinstate those 8 points, Shaun Maloney’s side would occupy 11th place.

Last time out, Wigan were defeated by 4 goals to 1 away at Bristol Rovers - That result meant the club had lost 3 of its previous 4 outings in the league.

The only league win they have collected since the 19th of August was a 2-1 victory over Cambridge a fortnight ago.

So can the Blues extend their impressive unbeaten league streak to 21 games and retain their spot at the top of the table?

Tune in for all of the unmissable action here on 93.7 Express FM, DAB Digital Radio or iFollow Pompey when Pompey Live returns this Saturday (September 30th) from 2pm for full coverage of Portsmouth's League One clash with Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

Robbie James and Kirsty Roxanne will be on and to provide full pre-match build-up, half-time analysis and post-game reaction!