Wigan and Villa prepare for key clash

This fixture threw upone of the shocks of this season's openingday as Wigan, a side famed for their shaky away performances, outplayedthe home side at Villa Parkand won 2-0. Coming against each other almost exactly midway through the season, it is interesting to note their differing fortunes since then. Aston Villa have again surprised everyone by building on their successin the 2008/2009season with wins against three of the BigFour and have established a place in what is now a highly competitive top six. Their success can be put down to a miserly defence which has conceded the joint second-best amount of goals in the league as well as a string of sensational performances by James Milner in a variety of positions. Wigan, meanwhile, haven't fared so well: they currently languish among the heap of teams in the lower half of the table, periously close to the drop zone. This is largely due to their shocking away form that has seen them beaten 5-0 at Old Trafford, 4-0 at Fratton Park and most famously of all, 9-1 at White Hart Lane. Their home form has been more consistent and they will be keen to pick up a vital three points in this fixture.

While a result against Villa would normally prove unlikely, Martin O'Neill's men have suffered of late. Beating Manchester United at Old Trafford in mid-December looked to cement their place in the top 4but defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool since then have dropped them down the table. O'Neillwill be keen to see an improved performance from his team, especially in light of Man City's resurgence under Roberto Mancini.

All in all it's shaping up to be a key clash fortwo teams at opposite ends of the table, and withVilla's recentbad results, it looks to be one that will be keenly contested.

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