Category Archives: Match Reports

Aston Villa 2 Wigan Athletic 0: Punchless Latics suffer fifth consecutive defeat

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, News, Other and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Several weeks ago, I used a match preview to illustrate the comical gulf in financial resources between Latics and the rival of the day, Manchester City. I labeled that game a no-hoper, and the match obliged. As supporters, we were unhappy with the performance, but very few of us expected any other result. There are a growing number of teams like Manchester City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, that we just can’t compete with.

But if you polled most Wigan Athletic supporters, few would list Aston Villa in that category. Sure, they are a big club with good support and some financial backing. But they’ve been, over the years, the type of team we can beat, and indeed try to.

The daft thing about all of this is that Aston Villa are, albeit to a lesser extent, still light years ahead of Wigan in terms of spending and wages. This summer, they bought our best player, Charles N’Zogbia, and proceeded to leave him on the bench, where another of our former best players, Emile Heskey, would keep him company. Key players for us are not key players for them. (Although I do think N’Zogbia will probably go on to become a key player there eventually).

Are we expecting too much from — to put it bluntly — a poor team in the world’s richest league? At risk of sounding bonkers after the elaborate preface I’ve just given, I don’t think we are.

Because Wigan Athletic has always punched above its weight. We expect our boys to upset the odds, and they do year after year. It’s the club ethos. The fact that Latics had not lost away at Villa before Saturday was an astounding statistic given the above realities. So as I launch into this match analysis, keep in mind two things. First, as a supporter I’m very proud of what the club has achieved and continues to achieve against clubs with greater resources. But second, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing better than we are.

Match Highlights

Latics actually started this one brightly, with plenty of possession and some attacking intent, without actually creating any clear chances. Roberto opted for a similar lineup to that of the second half against Tottenham, with Emmerson Boyce returning at right-back, Figueroa partnering Caldwell in the middle, and Van Aanholt out left. Ronnie Stam lined up as what can only be described as a defensive winger on the right, with Victor Moses on the left and Franco Di Santo up top. The usual suspects played in midfield: Watson, McCarthy and Diame.

Against Spurs, the Ronnie Stam experiment was designed to provide extra defensive cover on the left flank where Gareth Bale was causing problems. It worked to some degree before Gohouri’s red card, and seemed a reasonable approach to keep Villa’s most dangerous player, Gabby Agbonlahor, in check. But as Latics grew more comfortable in possession, they got caught out of position, and when Agbonlahor cut in from the wing in a one-on-one situation with Gary Caldwell, we knew what the outcome would be. Caldwell had been given a yellow card for next to nothing minutes prior, which probably discouraged a professional foul, but credit where it’s due, Agbonlahor produced an absolute rocket of a finish past Caldwell and Al-Habsi.

Latics only created one chance in the first half, and it fell to Franco Di Santo after Victor Moses had broken from midfield, panicked and almost scuffed his pass to the Argentine, who shot low and just wide. With his strength and speed, Moses probably could have gone on his own, but the man’s confidence is low and you can tell.

The second half began with another good effort from Agbonlahor, who again cut in from the left to curl an effort past Al-Habsi, skimming the post in the process. Emmerson Boyce, back from injury, was visibly tiring and would continue to struggle with the Villa striker As the match went on. Barry Bannan had a good long range effort tipped over the bar, before Franco Di Santo, against the run of play, took matters into his own hands. On a mazy run, he slipped in between several Villa defenders and found himself one on one against the keeper when he was clearly clattered by Alan Hutton. Mark Clattenberg and his haircut, both poor all match, the former favouring the home side, ignored it, and minutes later the game would be over.

Bizarrely, Martinez introduced James McArthur as a right-wingback in place of Ronnie Stam. If he was looking for pace to help Boyce deal with Agbonlahor, McArthur was clearly not the man for the job. The Scot was caught in possession and found himself chasing Agbonlahor, who is about seventeen times faster than he is, and also breezed past Boyce to deliver an excellent cross for Darren Bent’s goal.

Then Shaun Maloney was introduced at the tip of the diamond in attacking midfield, and chances started to come. First, Victor Moses slipped in a cheeky through ball which Maloney just failed to make good contact with. Ben Watson fizzed a corner straight through the entire Villa defense, with Gary Caldwell a whisker away. James McArthur whipped a delicious low cross just begging to be tapped in, but no one was on the end of it. Hugo might have, or Sammon. Even Boselli.

But it wasn’t to be.

A Neutral Would Say

Wigan pass it around a lot but don’t have anyone who can stick it in the back of the net. Villa have the opposite, but do look tough to beat under McLeish.

Player Ratings

Al Al-Habsi: 8 —  Slightly out of position for first goal, probably a result of watching Agbonlahor’s highlight reel in which he curls most of his effort far post. But he kept Latics in the game with a series of outstanding saves, to Darren Bent in the first half, then Bannan and Petrov later on.

Emmerson Boyce: 5 — Tough match for him. Got caught far up the pitch on the first goal, and was then outpaced for the second. Agbonlahor was excellent and Boycey was his main victim. But it was good to have him back, he’ll be important in the next few games.

Gary Caldwell: 5.5 — Hard to grade the captain. He’s been playing in makeshift defenses. It wasn’t his best game, but not his worst either. Most of the danger came from the flank.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 — Not a long term solution at centre-back. Sometimes looks very good, other times completely out of position. Darren Bent was unlucky not to have scored in the first half.

Ben Watson: 6.5 — Latics did enjoy some excellent possession, much of which was down to Ben. Rushed a pass on a breakaway that might have led to a real chance. Finally delivered one excellent corner, though the rest of his efforts were poor (and Latics had a lot of corners, at least ten).

James McCarthy: 6.5 — His energy levels were great, covering a lot of grass and working very hard defensively. We finally saw a glimpse of the old James when he delicately chipped a ball to Franco Di Santo in the second half. More of that please.

Mo Diame: 6 — Quiet one for Diame, ineffective in attack, but contributed toward good possession.

Ronnie Stam: 6 — Did fairly well in the first half down the right flank although he was nowhere to be seen in the buildup to the goal. Substituted in second half.

Victor Moses: 6.5 — What a shame one of those crossbars or posts had not been a goal earlier in the season. Looks low on confidence but still a threat. Sadly, his finishing was poor once again. Played one excellent through ball for Maloney that could have been a goal.

Franco Di Santo: 7.5 — Worked tirelessly and almost created something out of nothing for the penalty that wasn’t. All he lacks is poacher’s instinct and finishing to poke away those crosses.

Subs:

James McArthur: 5.5 — Every now and again he shows his quality, but his lack of pace is a problem. Roberto seems very loyal to him, but there are better options on the bench.

Shaun Maloney: 7.5 — Looked bright and inventive. Finally, someone who is looking for that incisive pass, a one-two, making runs into the box. Would be great to see him in the starting lineup, eventually with Rodallega in it as well.

Conor Sammon: 6 — Didn’t have much time. Would like to see Di Santo out wide, with Conor as centre-forward.

Everton 3 Wigan 1: Missed opportunity as Latics lose to uninspiring Everton, and lose Rodallega to injury

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, News, Other and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Everton 3 Wigan Athletic 1

As expected, Everton were largely unimpressive, a side full of battle but completely devoid of imagination or flair. But they still managed to emerge with all three points, largely thanks to their aerial prowess and Latics’ reluctance to push forward in search of three points when they were there for the taking. It was a frustrating afternoon for the Latics faithful. Having watched their team contain Everton despite a makeshift defense with Maynor Figueroa in the centre, Adrian Lopez at right-back, and Patrick Van Aanholt making his Premier League debut at left-back, Latics had started the second period with genuine promise. You could feel the tension mounting at Goodison, and as Wigan created chances, it looked decreasingly likely that Moyes’ men would make a breakthrough. Victor Moses and the outstanding Patrick Van Aanholt both went very close but a deep cross from Tony Hibbert was met powerfully by big Greek centre-forward Vellios for Everton’s winner, late in the game. The crossbar then denied substitute Dave Jones an exquisite chipped equaliser, but as Latics desperately pushed forward, they left too much space for new Everton signing Royston Drenthe to put things beyond doubt.

Probably as important as losing the match, Hugo Rodallega was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. It has been reported that he has suffered ligament damage and may be out until Christmas, a devastating blow. The positive news is that Shaun Maloney was signed to play in the position Hugo has been occupying, while Franco Di Santo’s current form as lone centre-forward offers promise.

The Good

Despite defensive injuries to the three important defenders in Alcaraz, Boyce and Gohouri, the defense put in a valiant shift. While Maynor Figueroa was eventually beaten in the air for the winning goal, he had performed well at centre-back. Van Aanholt was a revelation, solid in his defensive work and very clearly a talented attacking threat as well. His crossing, dribbling, and shooting deserved greater reward in the second half.

Franco Di Santo has now scored three in four. His latest was another rocket, also slightly deflected, but his confidence and overall performance gives plenty of hope.

The Bad

Rodallega’s injury. As frustrating as he can sometimes be, he is the club’s best forward and draws markers away from other attackers even when he’s not scoring. Victor Moses will need to start scoring in his absence, while opportunity beckons for Shaun Maloney and Albert Crusat. A report on a Colombian website quotes Hugo as saying the team doctor believes the injury not to be as bad as originally thought. It is believed the problem is with his meniscus rather than the ligaments. Lets hope so.

Roberto’s approach in the second half felt too cautious. Latics were creating chances and could have won this match with a little more adventure in the minutes leading up to Everton’s goal. A point wouldn’t have been bad — and Martinez’s mentality is understandable with a relegation battle so fresh in the mind — but these missed opportunities are starting to add up.

A Neutral Would Say

Save glimpses from Moses and Van Aanholt, not much quality in this borefest.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 7 — Can’t blame him for any of the goals. Made a couple decent saves early in the game.

Adrian Lopez: 5 — Uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, his passing is not very good. He did alright defensively but  the return of Gohouri, Alcaraz and Boyce can’t come soon enough.

Gary Caldwell: 6 — The usual from the captain, who has already played with four different partners in the heart of defense this season.

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Got beat in the air for Everton’s second goal, but at times looked a quality centre-back and played some very good passes that either did or should have resulted in dangerous breakaways.

Patrick Van Anholt: 8 — Excellent. Solid at left-back, dangerous when he got forward. He can cross, dribble and shoot by the looks of it. Unlucky not to score after a dazzling run that culminated in a right-footed shot just over the bar.

Ben Watson: 6 — Some neat passing at times, but would love to see him get forward more often, he has an eye for goal when he’s around the box.

James McCarthy: 6 — Remains this season’s biggest under-performer, although he deserves credit for the amount of running and tackling he did in midfield. Latics will need him to regain his attacking form soon though.

Jordi Gomez: 6.5 — Drew a lot of fouls as usual. Should be allowed to take all direct free-kicks as he is the only player with proven success from them.

Hugo Rodallega: 5 — Kept very quiet by Everton’s defense. Injured just before the 90th minute.

Victor Moses: 7 — Dangerous, but yet again guilty of a little hesitation at the crucial moment. He has been very, very close in every match this season, surely the goals will come soon.

Franco Di Santo: 7.5 — Worked very hard for the team and was confident enough to beat his man and shoot from a tight angle for the goal. Decent performance.

Subs:

Dave Jones: 7 — So unlucky not to score with an improvised chip immediately after Everton’s second goal. Clearly a cultured player with a lovely left foot.

Shaun Maloney: N/A — Hardly touched the ball in his 7 minutes on the pitch.

Man City 3 Wigan 0: Thumped without a whimper

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, News, Other and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Match Report: Manchester City 3 Wigan Athletic 0

We’d outlined the sheer gap in wealth between the two clubs in our match preview. Given that gulf, and looking at things from an unemotional and mathematical perspective, 3-0 in the away fixture is not the end of the world. Particularly when you consider that Spurs lost to them 5-1 at home and direct relegation rivals Swansea went down 4-0.

But these facts should not mask a limp performance from the Latics, who looked resigned to defeat before a ball was kicked. Only Ali Al-Habsi, at his brilliant best, seemed to believe a result could be obtained. He kept Latics in the match far longer than they deserved to be.

It was one of those games where you can’t really point the finger at any of the individuals. No one was shocking, but no one minus the Omani was much good either. Wigan was soundly beaten by an in-form all-star team, and if anything the scoreline was flattering to the visitors. The shame, for this writer, was the lack of belief and fight. Roberto’s men have, in the past, lost by larger margins by gambling a little more offensively, so perhaps this was a reflection of those difficult lessons and an awareness of the importance of goal difference. But as Jakarta Jack pointed out after the match, not even a yellow card was registered. While not advocating a Fat Sam-style approach, sometimes when you play a more skilled team, you do have to pull a shirt or two, break rhythm and momentum. I can’t remember one professional foul. You just can’t compete with players of that quality without disrupting them.

To be fair to Roberto, he recognized after the match that it was a poor performance. I personally think they missed Antolin Alcaraz and James McCarthy more than has been acknowledged — both inspirational performers whose all-action style galvanizes the side and gives them belief. But even if they’d found a way to keep Aguero and Silva quiet, it’s hard to imagine a different outcome with the firepower City have.

Positives:

Ali Al-Habsi. Outstanding performance complete with a penalty-save from Carlos Tevez, who has gone from big fish in a big pond, to regular fish in a very large pond, and it shows. Wigan’s keeper looks back to his best.

No suspensions or confirmed injuries. Although Emmerson Boyce was withdrawn in the second half, I haven’t seen any news confirming that he is injured. The flip side of getting no cards is that no one will be suspended for more winnable matches.

An improved Adrian Lopez. Didn’t have much protection in this match but still looked much better than his previous two. He made more important tackles than anyone else on the pitch to prevent the score from being worse. A bit clumsy in giving away the penalty. But given the news that Gohouri’s calf injury is going to keep him out at least another two weeks, Wigan needs Lopez to grow in stature, and he took a step towards that at Eastlands.

Negatives:

A weak resistance. Should have been 5-0 by half-time. Latics were lucky to escape 3-0 losers.

A Neutral Would Say:

Latics were lucky not to have lost by more.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 9 — Conceded three but couldn’t be blamed for any of them. Each of Aguero’s finishes was precise. Saved a penalty and made several other important interventions.

Emmerson Boyce: 6.5 — Linked well with Victor Moses on several occasions down the right.

Gary Caldwell: 6 — No real mistakes, but struggled to cope with Tevez and Aguero. I’d guess his lack of pace was the reason Mancini decided to play the two speedy Argentines up front rather than Edin Dzeko, who has been in excellent form but is the type of forward Caldwell defends quite well against.

Adrian Lopez: 6 — Gave away the penalty but was better than his previous outings, and made several very good tackles.

Figueroa: 6 — Very quiet offensively save for one excellent lofted pass for Di Santo in the first half. Struggled to cope with Adam Johnson, who beat him in one-on-one situations almost every time and fortunately had left his shooting boots at home.

Ben Watson: 6.5 — Passed the ball well enough from midfield but was outmuscled by Milner and Toure in midfield.

James McArthur: 6 — Presumably given the start to add a bit of industry to the midfield, he tried hard and did some good tackling, but could not assert himself on the game. Looked slow at times.

Mo Diame: 6 — Quiet display.

Victor Moses: 6.5 — Latics’ most inventive player, tried to take people on and make things happen, but was left frustrated.

Hugo Rodallega: 6 — Had one of Latics’ two chances, shooting at Joe Hart in the second half. Hugo is better on the left wing against weaker teams. He couldn’t beat Clichy. Ended the game as center-forward, but didn’t have too many chances.

Franco Di Santo: 6 — Worked hard and made some intelligent runs, but spurned one very good opportunity in the first half after being put through by Maynor Figueroa.

Subs:

Albert Crusat: 6.5 — The game was lost by the time he was on. He got knocked off the ball fairly easily on several occasions, but looked lively and should not be judged on this baptism of fire. Looks quick and good on the ball.

Jordi Gomez: 6 — Not much time to assert himself on the game. It’s a sign of how far he’s come in the first three matches of the season that I was actually sad not to see him name in the starting lineup.

Ronnie Stam: 6 — Came on for Emmerson Boyce and wasn’t directly at fault for any of the goals, but the defense looked weaker when Boycey went off.

Wigan 2 QPR 0: Di Santo dazzles as Latics claim first win

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, News, Other

Match Report:  Swansea City 0 Wigan Athletic 0

That little slice of luck that eluded Latics in the first two matches finally turned up in this home win over Queens Park Rangers, the last in a series of three fixtures against newly promoted clubs. It had been Wigan hitting posts against Norwich and Swansea, but QPR managed to do so no less than three times without scoring on Saturday. That statistic flatters the visiting side, however, as Wigan rarely looked in trouble and once Di Santo had netted his first the match was rarely in doubt.

Prior to his two strikes on Saturday, the Argentine had only managed two goals in fifty-odd Premier League appearances, although many of them were made as a substitute, and half under Fat Sam’s management at Blackburn in a system that did not suit his style of play. His goal-scoring record at Audax Italiano, the Chilean team Chelsea poached him from, was decent if not prolific, with 26 goals from 76 appearances. On Saturday, he scored two beauties — albeit with a fortunate deflection on the second — and it might have been a hat-trick but for an excellent save from QPR keeper Paddy Kenny.

Positives:

Di Santo and Rodallega. Much like Jordi Gomez did last week at Swansea, Di Santo enjoy a breakthrough match, his best in a Wigan shirt. He had already showed encouraging signs in the first two matches, a man with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose. But where he’d failed in those, he succeeded this time around. Against QPR he was dynamic and dangerous, carving out a chance for himself and hammering at Paddy Kenny, before going one better with a sublime volley from the top of the box, and later sealing the match with another top-corner nestler after a slight deflection. Rodallega, meanwhile, looked back to his lively best, making a real nuisance of himself, passing intelligently and running at defenders. He and Di Santo seem to play well together and could be a useful partnership for the rest of the season.

Another clean sheet. Having shipped nine goals to Tottenham two years ago, and ten to Blackpool and Chelsea in their first two matches last year, Latics have come a long way defensively. Two clean sheets — and it would have been three but for Al-Habsi’s unfortunate mistake against Norwich — in three matches bodes well for the season, particularly given the absences of Antolin Alcaraz and Steve Gohouri, two of the club’s best three centre-backs.

Negatives:

I’ll keep this section short because the mission was accomplished with minimal fuss, but Adrian Lopez still looks wobbly at the heart of defense, Al-Habsi made a couple very good saves but looks uncharacteristically timid since his mistake against Norwich. Victor Moses, probably not at 100% having pulled his groin the week before, needs to improve his decision-making once he’s beaten his man. There isn’t a better dribbler in the league at the moment, but it will be important that he focuses on his final pass, or shot, if he is going to fill N’Zogbia’s boots.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 7 — Made a couple very good saves, in particular from Taraabt’s deflected free-kick, pushing the ball onto the post and away from goal.

Maynor Figueroa: 6 — Fairly quiet match from the Honduran.

Gary Caldwell: 6 — Solid enough, although his passing was a little off.

Adrian Lopez: 5 — Better than his Norwich nightmare, but still a little wobbly and struggled again with the physical nature of the centre-forward’s game, in this case Patrick Agyemang. That said, he improved as the game went on and lets hope that continues.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 — Reliable, and made an excellent mazy run past several defenders that resulted in a goal-scoring opportunity for the Latics.

Ben Watson: 7 — Did his job fairly quietly in midfield, did not get forward at all, however.

Mo Diame: 6 –The odd moment of invention as is customary, but not much in the way of end product. Good tackling, however.

Jordi Gomez: 7 — Finishing was a little disappointing but it was another step in the right direction. He looks involved, confident, and did a fair bit of defending and tackling.

Victor Moses: 6 — Went past his man a couple times only to waste the final pass or shot, but he will continue to grow as the season goes on. Was probably still suffering the effects of his groin injury suffered against Swansea.

Hugo Rodallega: 8 — Very energetic performance on the left wing from Hugo, who was involved throughout, passed and moved well, and linked up nicely with Di Santo. Strangely, however, he didn’t have any chances or memorable goal attempts.

Franco Di Santo: 9 — His best performance for the club. Two lovely goals, excellent forward play, full of dribbling, passing and effort. Very pleased for him, it’s like having a new signing.

Subs:

Conor Sammon: 5 —  After his exciting contribution at the end of last season, he’s looked a little less flashy this year. Fast, strong and willing, but the team has looked less dangerous when he has replaced Franco Di Santo on the pitch. Didn’t do much wrong, but didn’t create much either.

James McArthur: 6 — Came on and looked at home in midfield, though didn’t contribute too much of note.

Ronnie Stam: Was only on the pitch for a few minutes.

Swansea 0 Wigan 0: Unlucky Latics settle for draw

Posted by Ned in Match Reports and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Match Report:  Swansea City 0 Wigan Athletic 0

As we suspected in our match preview, this was an extremely tricky fixture against a side celebrating its return to the top flight for the first time in twenty-odd years. We felt it would be evidence of the progress Wigan has made over the past couple of years if the team was able to grind out a result, and they did that and more. Swansea possessed and pressed, and enjoyed the first half without finding that bit of quality in the box, while the Latics who so often play that role in games, waited patiently, absorbing their opponents energy, breaking with with pace and quality. In the end, Latics should have walked away with three points; Jordi Gomez hit the post with a sublime lob, then won a penalty which Ben Watson had saved, while Victor Moses, again the main threat, hit the crossbar.

Positives:

Tactical discipline. It was not a pretty first half, but Roberto knew Swansea would be fired up and start the match strongly. The team defended patiently, easing into the game rather than trying to match Swansea. Very rarely did the Latics leave themselves exposed in that first half, save one early chance Al-Habsi saved from Danny Graham. As Swansea grew frustrated at the lack of a breakthrough, Roberto gave the team a bit more license in the second period, and it’s frankly a bit baffling how one of those chances didn’t go in to give the Latics three points.

Jordi Gomez. Possibly his best match in a Wigan shirt, he popped up on the right wing, on the left and through the center. Rather than playing a more traditional role on the wing that has never suited him, he was allowed to roam, and he got himself into good positions on more than one occasion. If it was painfully sad that his left-footed lobbed shot didn’t win it for the side, it must have been even worse to watch the Swansea keeper save Ben Watson’s penalty, which he had earned. Lets hope this proves a breakthrough season for the Spaniard.  

The defense. Everyone did their part. Gary Caldwell, who has played with three partners at center-back in two matches, was assured and commanding. Figueroa made some outstanding tackles, Boyce was reliable as always, and even Ronnie Stam, usually an uncomfortable defender, stuck to his task and kept them out. Al-Habsi bounced back from his blunder against Norwich with a couple decent saves and a clean sheet.  

The result. To get a draw against a newly promoted team in their first match on their home patch is tough. Mission accomplished.   

Negatives:

Fitness of the squad. Antolin Alcaraz was substituted about twenty minutes in with a leg problem, possibly his knee, thus explaining his absence against Norwich. Franco Di Santo ran his socks off but appeared to suffer some sort of injury before being replaced by Hugo Rodallega. James McCarthy once again did not look himself, misplacing passes and earning himself a yellow card out of frustration. He was substituted halfway through the second half. And most worryingly of all, Victor Moses was forced to play the final 15 minutes of the match on one leg after straining a muscle (hamstring, probably) on his way to hitting the crossbar. All substitutions had been used up by that point. 

A Neutral Would Say: 

Swansea started stronger and were a bit unlucky with their finishing, but Wigan should have won this one in the second half. 

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 6.5 — Tested two or three times but a clean sheet should help restore his confidence.

Emmerson Boyce: 7.5 — Mr. Dependable, he is one of the most likable players around. Started at right back but quickly moved into the heart of defense when Alcaraz limped off. He defended well and it’s great to know he is still comfortable slotting in given the defensive injuries in the squad.

Gary Caldwell: 8 — Solid and commanding,  but also a good passer of the ball, which he rarely gets credit for. Coped with a pacy Swansea attack.     

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Commentators were criticizing him in the second half after a small lapse in concentration but I thought he made some excellent sliding interceptions that could have led to shots on goal. Nathan Dyer was a tough opponent and put some nice crosses in, but Fig had to play the last 15 minutes without help from the injured Moses. In attack he was patient and passed the ball well.  

Antolin Alcaraz: 6 — Went off early in the match, lets hope it’s not a bad injury. 

Ben Watson: 6 — Busy, but a little less incisive than last week. Didn’t find the space to get forward as he did against Norwich. His penalty miss was costly.

James McCarthy: 5 — Something is wrong with him. He misplaced numerous passes and looked frustrated until replaced by McArthur in the second half.

Mo Diame: 6 — Decent workrate and got into shooting positions a couple times, but tends to go for the fancy long range or left-footed volleys when simpler options are available.

Victor Moses: 7.5 — Again Wigan’s most dangerous attacker, he got past his man on multiple occasions, played some nice crosses, but lacked the coolness to finish his chances. Hitting the woodwork was a bit unlucky though. Wigan needs him fit, lets hope his injury is not a long-term one.

Jordi Gomez: 8 — His best half in a Wigan shirt, he popped up left, right and center and deserved to score. Also won the penalty.

Franco Di Santo: 7 — Worked very hard, showed some nice touches and passes, but had little service. Almost created something for himself in the first half, spinning around his two markers before the keeper beat him to the loose ball.

Subs:

Ronnie Stam: 7 — Did his job defensively, and played a delicious driven cross that Rodallega might have gotten on the end of. 

James McArthur: 6 — His first Premier League match in quite some time, he got beaten several times and resorted to professional fouls in areas of the pitch that a better team might have capitalized from. He has some talent though, and it was his first-time  through ball that Moses latched onto when hitting the bar. 

Hugo Rodallega: 6 — Quiet by his standards, but most of the time he was on the pitch, Moses was already injured, depriving him of an attacking partner. Still, came close to a couple dangerous crosses and might’ve poached one.