Top-four battle one of numerous reasons why Wigan may be doomed
Published:What a difference a gameweek makes in the Premier League survival race, as victories for Stoke, Norwich and Sunderland have seen their prices for relegation dramatically drift.
Stoke and Norwich are now 22/1 after their respective successes over doomed duo QPR and Reading, with Sunderland 25/1 after sneaking a 1-0 victory over Everton. Before these triumphs, the trio were all lingering around the 5/1 mark to finish in the bottom three.
As quickly as things have swung in one direction, defeats for this trio in the next batch of games alongside wins for Aston Villa and Wigan would throw the relegation market wide open again.
Therefore, there may still be some value to be had in backing Stoke, Norwich or Sunderland for the drop as they still will probably need at least another three points to ensure their safety.
Aston Villa and Wigan are certainly the most in trouble, with preference for the latter at 8/15.
If Wigan win their game in hand against Swansea, then they will leap above Villa because of their better goal difference, but it is better having the points on the board than the fixtures to make up the deficit.
Meanwhile, looking at the remaining fixtures, Wigan’s run-in appears the toughest of all of the clubs in the relegation mix, with four of their five outings against opposition currently in the top half of the Premier League standings.
This includes games with Arsenal and Tottenham, who have plenty to play for and will be taking no games lightly now given the battle for a top-four berth to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
By the time they meet the bottom-half club, Aston Villa, their fate could already be sealed.
Throw in that they also have the distraction of a day out at Wembley to face Manchester City in the FA Cup, which would by far be the biggest piece of silverware that the club has ever won.
Some Wigan fans may also be content to suffer relegation should they lift the FA Cup.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
