Premier League preview: Wigan v Blackburn

Wigan will host Blackburn Rovers at the DW Stadium on Saturday in an English Premier League relegation six-pointer.

The league’s bottom two are quickly losing touch with their competitors and a win would ease the pressure on one of their under-fire managers, Roberto Martinez or Steve Kean.

Wigan’s plight has come despite a bright start to the season, which saw them collect five points from their opening three matches.

Since then, they have suffered eight straight defeats to be anchored to the bottom of the table and five points from safety.

In contrast, Blackburn struggled to start the season and have since beaten Arsenal to go with draws against Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City.

The clash with Wigan marks the start of a series of winnable games for Kean’s Rovers in the lead-up to Christmas.

They will face Stoke, Swansea City, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Bolton before a trip to Liverpool on December 26.

While the handful of winnable games provide an opportunity, it could also be disastrous for Kean and Rovers if they continue to falter.

Argentine Mauro Formica has been among a few bright spots for the Rovers, netting twice and providing a spark up front.

Nigerian striker Yakubu has hit three goals and if the pair can combine up front, the Rovers can cause Wigan problems.

Wigan have rued their luck in recent matches, with a Yohan Cabaye strike condemning them to a 1-0 loss at Newcastle, while they provided their fans with some hope in defeats at the hands of Fulham and Wolves.

Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi has come to their rescue on several occasions, while Argentine forward Franco Di Santo has performed well.

Midfielder Ben Watson has also has been solid in the middle of the park, as has Senegal international Mohamed Diame.

Martinez’s team missed several opportunities against Wolves, and if they want to get anything out of a vital clash against Rovers, they must be clinical.

The battle between the bottom two will shape the remainder of their seasons and ease the pressure on one of their managers.