Preview | Swansea City v Wigan Athletic
Swansea City will look to continue their enjoyment of home comforts when they return to the Swansea.com Stadium to host Wigan Athletic this afternoon (3pm).
Russell Martin's side have won their last four games in SA1, and they will want to extend that to five in what will be their final home game before the season pauses for the upcoming World Cup.
The Swans fell to defeat at Preston in midweek, as did the visitors who suffered a loss at home to Stoke.
For the Latics that result was a fifth loss in a row, a sequence that has seen them fall into the relegation zone.
Team news
Swansea will be without captain Matt Grimes after the midfielder picked up a fifth booking of the season in the loss at Preston.
Joe Allen and Liam Walsh remain absent through injury, but head coach Martin otherwise has a full squad to choose from.
Jamie Paterson and Armstrong Oko-Flex were among those to make an impression from the bench in midweek and could be in contention for starts/
Pre-match views
Russell Martin: “I don’t think it matters who you play in this division. Obviously, they’re going through a tough period. I think during tough periods though people stand up to it together and I'm sure they will.
“They achieved something really brilliant last season. When you have done something like that as a group together, it counts for a lot. They’ll be desperate to come here and get a result.
“We need to make sure that we’re fully aware of the context of their situation, but also play our own game. We’ve been in really good form at home and good form in general in terms of performance.
“Tuesday night was a small bump in the road with the disappointment. That can happen though in the Championship. The one thing the players here have done brilliantly though is react really well to disappointment, so we need to do the same again.
“The game here is very different and we’re both desperate for a result, they’ll come here fighting I'm sure of that.
“As long as we can build on what we did in the second half on Tuesday tomorrow, I'll be more than happy".
Leam Richardson: “It’s their (players) first rocky spell as a group, and we are used to winning and progressing. We had eight bad weekends all of last year, and this year, it looks like we will have more than that.
“It’s easy being there high-fiving everyone, lifting trophies, and getting all the accolades, but it’s my job to be there when people need you the most.
“It’s my job when people need leading - players and staff within the Football Club - and we have to progress. It’s a fantastic league, coming up against some fantastic players and football clubs, and a lot of our lads are learning on the job.
“They are doing very well in large parts, but it’s just those moments that we’ve got to be better at.”
Remember the last time?
Rhian Brewster scored on his home debut while Andre Ayew completed a comeback win as Swansea City beat Wigan Athletic to move into the Championship play-off places when the sides last met in SA1.
The home side had to overcome Nathan Byrne’s 16th-minute opener for the Latics, with Brewster finding the bottom corner three minutes later after being teed up by debutant Conor Gallagher.
Ayew’s 12th goal of the season settled an entertaining encounter, with the Ghanaian backheeling Bersant Celina’s pinpoint cross into the net in the 67th minute.
Victory moved the Swans up to fifth with 45 points from 28 games.
0 - Wigan have yet to taste victory at the Swansea.com Stadium, They have two draws and two defeats from their four visits.
31 - Indeed, it is 31 years since Wigan won in SA1. They won in some style on that occasion, winning a Third Division contest 6-1 at the Vetch in April 1991.