ALBION begin their FA Cup campaign with a lunchtime Hawthorns tie against Wigan Athletic this Saturday (ko 12.30pm).
The opposition
Fellow Sky Bet Championship side Wigan Athletic are 20th in the division after a difficult spell that’s seen them not pick up a win since the end of November.
Following promotion from League One the Latics had made a strong start to the campaign before running into their current rough patch, with the New Year’s Day defeat to Sheffield United their last outing.
This weekend’s clash will be the third time that Albion have faced Wigan in the past three months, with the teams winning one each up to now.
Last time out
Our last meeting was as recently as Boxing Day, with Albion running out 2-0 victors thanks to a Jay Rodriguez brace.
Stats
Albion
- Saturday’s game will be the first ever FA Cup tie between Albion and Wigan Athletic.
- It takes place almost exactly one year to the day since the Baggies’ FA Cup Third Round victory over Exeter City last season.
- Despite Darren Moore’s side losing their unbeaten run on the weekend, Jay Rodriguez’s penalty ensured they’ve now scored in 10 successive matches. It’s the longest scoring streak since Autumn 2012 (12 in all competitions).
Wigan Athletic
- The teams have met three times in cup competitions (W1, D1, L1) and each has a 3-1 win apiece.
- Paul Cook’s side made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup alongside winning League One last season, beating the likes of Bournemouth, West Ham and Manchester City before being knocked out by Southampton.
- Wigan are winless from their last seven matches (D2, L5).
From the archive
Here are the highlights from our last game against the Latics…
Any excuse to watch Rodriguez’s strike again!
Head to head
Wigan just about come out on top in the head-to-head record, though Albion could draw level with a win this weekend.
Of the 21 matches that have been played, the Baggies have triumphed eight times, there have been four stalemates and Wigan have won on nine occasions.
Man in the middle
The referee for Saturday’s match is Keith Stroud, and he’ll be assisted by Steven Meredith and Mark Pottage - with Josh Smith as the fourth official.
Stroud has refereed two Throstles games this season; the defeat at Hull and the win over Ipswich.
Ticket news
Prices have been slashed for our third-round tie against Wigan and tickets remain on general sale.
Seats are just £1 for under-18s, £5 concessions and £10 adults.
The kids-for-a-quid offer is only available in advance of matchday. All concessions, including under-18s, will be priced at £5 on the day of the game, with adult tickets remaining £10.
Supporters can purchase seats online, in person from the East Stand Ticket Office or by calling 0121 227 2227.
Follow the game
Comprehensive coverage of the clash with Wigan is available in our Match Centre, where you can listen to live commentary on WBA Radio or follow our live text feed.
WBA Radio is the only service that allows Baggies fans around the world - from Smethwick to the Sahara - access to uninterrupted live commentaries from every one of our competitive games. Subscribers can join Sean Watts and Dave Bowler for Baggies-biased live commentary on Saturday.
You’ll also be able to find score updates on the club's social media channels.
Twitter - @WBA
Facebook - West Bromwich Albion
Instagram - wba
