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Wigan Athletic
BlackpoolWigan Athletic need something to cheer about right now, and the EFL Trophy might just be the place to find it. Gary Caldwell’s side are propping up League One after five defeats from their opening seven games, and Tuesday night offers a chance to bank some genuine confidence in a competition where they already have a win under their belt. For Blackpool, this is their first appearance in the Trophy this season, and after losing three of their last four league games, Ian Evatt will be hoping a change of scenery can stop the rot before it gets any worse.
There is a heavy backdrop to this one too. Wigan’s goalkeeping coach Kevin Miller passed away during the week at the age of 57, and the whole club is grieving. Saturday’s defeat to Wycombe came just after a minute’s applause in his memory. That context matters, and it would be no surprise to see an emotional performance from the Latics as they look to honour him with a result.
This EFL Trophy group stage fixture takes place at the Brick Community Stadium, with Wigan looking to make it back to back wins in the competition while Blackpool make their first Trophy appearance of the campaign. Both clubs sit in League One, making this a proper local rivalry with a bit of extra bite despite the lower key nature of the competition.
With League One taking priority for both managers, expect significant changes across both squads. The selection headaches are less about injuries and more about who gets the nod from rotated XIs.
Caldwell looks set to name a side fairly similar to the one that edged past Aston Villa Under 21s, with Hogan perhaps the most interesting addition. The former Premier League striker has been waiting in the wings and a cup game feels like the right environment to get him firing. Costelloe, whose late winner kept Wigan’s Trophy campaign alive last time, could partner him or push for a starting berth in his own right.
Evatt will shuffle his pack considerably, but there is still enough quality in what Blackpool can put out to make this competitive. Charles leads the line in a side built around Peacock-Farrell in goal and a midfield that includes Bowler, who is always capable of creating something.
Wigan Athletic: J. Walsh; Carragher, Burns, Fox, Mellish; Power, Gray; Murray, Weir, R. Walsh; Hogan
Blackpool: Peacock-Farrell; Williams, Casey, Earl, Ashworth; Brown, Bowler, Anderson, Morgan; Charles, Yates
Wigan’s league form has been grim reading. Five defeats from seven games, one win, one draw, and rock bottom of League One. Saturday’s narrow loss to Wycombe was their latest setback, and while you can point to the tragic circumstances surrounding Kevin Miller’s death as something that clearly affected the dressing room, the truth is Caldwell’s side were struggling before that as well. They are conceding too often and not creating enough at the other end in the league.
The EFL Trophy has been slightly kinder. Wigan came back from two goals down to beat Aston Villa Under 21s 3-2, with Costelloe grabbing that dramatic late winner. It was the kind of performance that suggested the quality is there when they find their rhythm, and the momentum from that comeback could carry into this one if Caldwell gets his team selection right.
Blackpool looked like genuine promotion contenders after thrashing Peterborough 4-0 at the end of August and sitting top of the table heading into September. Since then it has fallen apart badly. Three league defeats, including a chaotic 4-2 loss at Plymouth where they led at half time, plus a draw at home to Bromley in the cup. Evatt will know his side have given up leads and lost shape in the second half of games, and that is a pattern that needs fixing quickly. A Trophy tie against a struggling Wigan side could be exactly what they need to find some confidence again, or it could be another night where things unravel.
These two have faced each other regularly in recent years, and the recent record heavily favours Blackpool. Wigan have not beaten the Seasiders in their last four meetings, with the most recent Latics win coming back in March 2024. That is a run that gives Blackpool real confidence heading to the Brick Community Stadium, even with a much changed side.
The history between these clubs suggests Blackpool tend to make things difficult for Wigan even when the Latics have the home advantage. Whether a heavily rotated Trophy fixture changes those dynamics remains to be seen, but you would be brave to completely ignore the recent pattern.
This is a tricky one to assess given how much both sides are expected to rotate, but there are some angles worth backing. Wigan have home advantage, a point to prove after a bruising few days, and the memory of Kevin Miller driving them forward. Blackpool’s recent defensive record in the second half of games is a concern. Overall this shapes up as a tight, low scoring affair with the Latics just about edging it.
With both sides rotating heavily and neither in great goalscoring form right now, a 1-0 to Wigan feels right. The Latics need the win, they have the crowd behind them, and one set piece or moment of quality from Hogan or Costelloe could be enough to settle it on the night.
Scott Hogan is the pick here. He has been waiting patiently for his chance since signing and Caldwell looks set to hand him a start. Strikers who come in fresh off the bench and are hungry for minutes often deliver in these cup games, and Hogan has the experience and finishing quality to make the most of his opportunity.
EFL Trophy group games between League One rivals rarely stay completely clean, and with plenty of fringe players looking to impress their managers there tends to be a bit of edge to the challenges. Back over three and a half cards in this one. Both sides have players who need to make a statement, and that kind of desperation can lead to some rash moments.
Under 2.5 goals looks the play. Neither side is in free scoring form right now, both will field rotated XIs with combinations that have not had much time to gel, and the nature of a low stakes Trophy group game often produces cagey football. A tight affair with one or two goals at most feels far more likely than an open shootout.
Under 9.5 corners suits this fixture. Cup group games with heavily rotated squads tend to produce less sustained attacking pressure than regular league fixtures. With both sides likely to be more conservative and less fluid going forward than usual, the corner count should stay fairly modest throughout.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Wigan Athletic to Win |
| Total Goals | Under 2.5 Goals |
| First Goalscorer | Scott Hogan |
A Wigan win with few goals and Hogan breaking the deadlock ties together nicely, with each pick reinforcing the same overall read on this game as a tight, low scoring home victory settled by a clinical finish from their new striker.
Everything points towards a hard fought, compact game that Wigan shade through sheer will and home advantage. The emotional weight of Kevin Miller’s passing will be felt around the Brick Community Stadium, and Caldwell will have his players motivated to deliver something for him. Hogan starting gives the Latics a focal point they have lacked at times, and Costelloe offers pace and creativity to complement him.
Blackpool will make it difficult, as they always do against Wigan, but their recent collapse at Plymouth showed a side that struggles to hold things together for a full ninety minutes. Give the Latics the edge here. Wigan Athletic 1-0 Blackpool.
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