Lee Dixon: Wigan to deny fatigued Newcastle at the DW

 

Newcastle are in decent Premier League form but could their European exertions hold them back on Sunday? Lee Dixon thinks so...

 

"Wembley! Wembley! We're the famous Wigan and we're going to Wembley!"

 

Hands up - who thought they'd hear that chant ring out this season?!

 

Roberto Martinez's men pulled off a fantastic result at Goodison Park to make the FA Cup semi-finalswhere they will meet Millwall. The Latics will clearly be  favourites to beat the Championship outfit and that would set up the prospect of Wigan going to Wembley twice in a season but also going down!

 

It could well happen. We've got used to seeing Wigan beat the drop season after season, sometimes from miraculous positions, but they can't do it every year. They go  into this game in the bottom three and could be at least six points off safety by the time it kicks off.

 

And, in Newcastle, they are up against a tricky opponent, clearly capable of inflicting a ninth league defeat at the DW Stadium.

 

Alan Pardew's team have finally rediscovered the art of winning after a thoroughly miserable January, and though they do lose the odd one, the Toon have been  victorious in four of the last six league fixtures.

 

Pardew made some good signings in the transfer window and he may now have the  most 'French' dressing room ever seen in the Premier League - yes, more French than  Arsenal's was!

 

Wigan deserved their win at Goodison and in some ways it wasn't that much of a surprise. Martinez's team can be very good on their day but they are so inconsistent.  These Premier League minnows must summon up the spirit of that 3-0 win at Everton and keep it going for a few games. A favourable run-in lies before them but they will  need as many points on the board as possible before it all ends against Aston Villa at the DW Stadium on May 19.

 

I'm not sure they'll be picking up all three points on Sunday afternoon though. Newcastle played in midweek and that could play a key role in how this game pans out.  Yohann Cabaye is an injury doubt and I think there'll be a little bit of fatigue in the visitors' ranks after they secured their passage into the last-eight of the  Europa League with a 1-0 defeat of Anzhi, and Wigan should have enough about them to secure a draw.

 

I think we could be in for a rare low-scoring game at the DW and my temptation is to back a pair of low-scoring draws - 0-0 at 14.0 and 1-1 at 8.0.

 

Recommended Bets

Back 0-0 at 14.0 and 1-1 at 8.0

 

Bet HERE

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