Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United Preview

Manchester United will travel to the DW Stadium on Monday to face Wigan Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup.

The hosts were formerly a force in the Premier League and famously won the FA Cup in 2013 with current Portugal coach Roberto Martinez as coach but they are now languishing down in League One.

They enter this round of the FA Cup having already won twice in this competition this term beating Exeter and York to nil to earn their place here. Their next target will be to overcome 12-time champions Manchester United whom they have struggled to beat in past meetings.

Shaun Maloney’s side have won just once in 19 previous H2Hs (L18), while they have only scored once across the previous ten meetings (W1, L9) – a goal interestingly netted by Maloney in April 2012 in that sole win. But the Latics have been strong defencively at home, conceding just once across their last five home matches (W3, D1, L1).

Meanwhile, Manchester United will be desperate to begin the new year on a positive note having endured a poor first half of the season, culminating in a run of one win from their last six games.

The Red Devils’ misfiring forward line has been largely responsible for their ill fortune, as Erik ten Hag’s men have scored just 22 times in the Premier League this term – only the bottom two have managed fewer.

They can’t afford any setbacks here as they attempt to reach the final of the FA Cup again this season, having been beaten in the final by arch-rivals Manchester City last season. Given that United haven’t been eliminated from the FA Cup in the third round by lower-league opposition since 2009/10, confidence should still be high.