Wigan V Everton at The DW Stadium : Match Preview

06 October 2012 08:21
Wigan V Everton - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.

Martinez hopes Latics can reverse fortunes Wigan manager Roberto Martinez feels his team are ready to banish all negative thoughts and kickstart their season. The Latics have just four points from their opening six Barclays Premier League games and Martinez admits players have needed lifting after not getting the results they feel they deserve. Martinez was especially disappointed after last week's 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, a match Wigan dominated until the sending off of Jordi Gomez early in the second half. Gomez has since won an appeal for wrongful dismissal. Martinez said: "We have been very unfortunate with certain moments that have affected our results. "That has given us a bit of a negative feeling about ourselves and that is what we need to change. "You get a bit of a feeling of frustration and disappointment. "You want to play well with real bravery and enjoyment and we have done that, but then you need the reward of a positive result at the end of it. Otherwise it is difficult to bring some sort of momentum. "Especially at home, we need to change our results and make sure we can be strong opposition for any team that comes to the DW Stadium." Wigan will this weekend host high-flying Everton, who finished seventh after a strong late run last season and are second in the table having lost just once. Martinez said: "You can really see a continuity in what they have done from January onwards. "Two or three new faces came in and they developed a strong momentum and they have carried that through. "Without a doubt it is one of the best starts they have had for a long, long time. Probably the last time they had this sort of start they ended up in the Champions League spaces, which tells you how well they have done. "But it is not surprise. I don't think anyone will tell you that seeing Everton in those positions, in that kind of form, is a surprise. "They have a really good stability internally with the manager and the players." Everton boss David Moyes still feels his team from 2004-05 are the best he has had and will be happier making comparisons with the current side at the end of the season. Following their 3-1 win over Southampton last weekend, the Toffees are second in the table with 13 points from their opening six fixtures. That haul is the club's best from six games at the start of a campaign since they did the same eight years ago - and that term they went on to secure a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds by finishing fourth. That Everton team remains unparalleled within Moyes' 10-year tenure as far as the Scot is concerned, and while delighted with the way things are going right now, he has stressed that it is only after the full duration of this season that he will be able to properly judge the standing of his present group. "I would agree that we are in good form, but I think the year that we got to the Champions League, that was probably the best team I've had because of what they achieved, and more importantly, that they did it week in and week out," Moyes said. "It's okay saying that you are in good form, but we've only played six games in the Premier League. "What we have to talk about is what those boys have done after 38 games in the Premier League. "We're in form just now, but let's see if they are consistent and keep it going for the rest of the season." Wigan, by contrast, have already suffered four league defeats this term. The form guide suggests an away victory is on the cards, but Moyes is not about to underestimate a Latics side he feels manager Martinez has done a "brilliant" job with over the past few years. "The statistics are easy to say, but I have to say that every Premier League game is really tough - I've not found one of them which is easy," Moyes said. "Every game is very close and I think Wigan are a decent team, I really do. "Roberto has done a brilliant job and that is why he has been linked with different jobs - because of how people see the job he has done at Wigan." Moyes will monitor the condition of Steven Naismith ahead of the clash. Naismith (calf), who missed last weekend's 3-1 victory over Southampton, has been training but Moyes is wary of rushing the forward back into action too soon. The manager has also confirmed that defender Tony Hibbert (calf) and midfielder Darron Gibson (thigh) will once again not feature.

Source: PA