Emirates F.A. Cup Round 3 Match Preview – Wigan Athletic VS Manchester United: All That’s at Stake
Image Source: BBC
The day is here, and the stage seems set. The supporters of both these football clubs will be gathering in the home and away stands of the D.W. Stadium in Wigan to witness their teams going for it all in this F.A. Cup knockout round.
Interestingly, the F.A. Cup is virtually the only competition these two teams can win, with Manchester United sitting 8th in the Premier League, out of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, and Wigan sitting 18th in the E.F.L. League One after receiving at 8-point deduction at the start of the season for not being able to pay salaries to their players last year. Wigan have also been put under a transfer embargo meaning that they will not be able to sign any new players to improve their squad depth.
With their ongoing financial crises, Wigan will be hoping for a repeat of what happened in the 2013 edition of the F.A. Cup, where they won the competition by beating Manchester City in the final.
Manchester United will be hoping to return to winning ways, after a catastrophe of a season they’ve played in until now. A string of wins from here will most definitely aid Erik Ten Hag and his team’s plan of salvaging something from the season. United need to climb up the Premier League table, at least to the 6th spot to ensure they play Europa League football next season. Winning an F.A. Cup along the way will make this campaign look decent.
They will have to play cautiously against a Wigan side who will look to drop back and wait for them to make a mistake. The slightest of errors could cost them this cup tie. It will be really very important for them to start well and get the first goal. This should also tame the Wigan crowd who will be on top their game tonight so we should be expecting a packed stadium and an electrifying atmosphere, since 3rd division teams like Wigan rarely get the chance to play top-flight teams like Man. United. The home team will savor this state-of-affairs and play with no real pressure.
Tactically, Erik Ten Hag will have to go back to the drawing board since his entire game plan failed when they lost 2-1 away to Nottingham Forest in their previous fixture. Ten Hag could also make a lot of shifts and changes in the starting lineup, since they are not facing what one would call, “quality opposition.” He can pick a few players from the youth squad and see how they fit in the first team’s lineup. This is a game that will be won or lost by the amount of energy shown on the pitch, and giving youth players a chance to prove their potential might just do the trick.
Will Manchester United get the job done, or is there a moment of magic waiting to happen in this year’s F.A. Cup? We’ll find out tomorrow morning at 1:45 a.m. live on Sony LIV. (for the Indian audience)
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