Opta Big Match Stats: Gomez to notch in Wigan win

12Apr 2013

FA Cup

This is uncharted territory for Wigan but Christian Crowther believes that the Premier League club will still prosper at Wembley...

Millwall v Wigan (Saturday, 17:15, ESPN)

Wigan are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Millwall in all competitions, without conceding a goal (W2 D1)

The last time that these two clubs did battle was in 2004/05, Wigan's final season in the newly established Championship, where the Latics led the division for most of the season before eventually going up second behind Sunderland. Wigan won both games 2-0 during that campaign and have since gone on to establish themselves as a top-flight club, while Millwall are yet to taste Premier League football and even suffered a relegation to the third tier during that eight-year period. Although form tends to count for little in these one-off encounters, Wigan are playing particularly well at present - winning five of their last seven games - and their superior quality should see them through.

Best Bet: Back Wigan to win @ 1.82

Millwall have conceded just one goal in their five FA Cup matches so far this season

Kenny Jackett's Lions deserve huge praise for reaching this stage of the competition for the second time in 10 seasons considering the budgetary restrictions on the south London club. This particular campaign has been built around a solid defence, something they've not always been able to rely on during a topsy-turvy Championship campaign this season. However, Millwall have largely rediscovered that resoluteness of late, keeping five clean sheets in a row before letting in three in their last two runouts. Wigan will have to work particularly hard for this victory and, after notching just one goal in each of their last two matches, it may be the odd goal that sees them into the final.

Recommended Bet: Back Wigan to win 1-0 @ 7.8

Jordi Gomez has scored three goals and assisted two more in the FA Cup this season; the Spaniard played a part in two of their three goals against Everton in the quarter-final

Wigan's influential Spaniard was in for some rough treatment against QPR but should have shaken off Bobby Zamora's boot to the head by the time the Latics run out at Wembley. Gomez seems to relish the cup competitions more than most, having notched in three of the four prior rounds of this FA Cup run, and also scoring twice in the opening rounds of the Capital One Cup. Gomez is a tricky customer, even for the most experienced Premier League defences, as Everton found out to their peril in the quarter-final, where his goal capped a man-of-the-match display. Gomez can help his team make history again here.

Recommended Bet: Back Jordi Gomez to score @ 3.9