Wigan Athletic

Ben Watson for Wigan Athletic in 2013. Lawrie Sanchez for Wimbledon in 1988.

Twenty-five years separate the two goals, but the comparisons are undeniable.

BBC commentator John Motson memorably described the Dons' 1-0 victory over Kenny Dalglish's title-winning Liverpool as "the crazy gang have beaten the culture club."

This season, the culture in the final belonged to one team only, and they went on to become deserved victors in an enthralling FA Cup final at Wembley.

Watson rose unmarked inside the area to meet Shaun Maloney's corner and guide it over Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart in the 90th minute.

In 1988, Sanchez rose highest to meet Dennis Wise's floated free-kick and send it beyond Bruce Grobbelaar in the Liverpool goal.

Watson, Wigan and manager Roberto Martinez have now left an indelible mark on the FA Cup after succeeding against the odds.

Where Wigan's trips to Wembley had previously been the forte of the town's all-conquering rugby league side, the football team has now, arguably, usurped any achievement of the Warriors.

The accomplishment of defeating Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled team also ranks alongside Sunderland's 1973 win over Leeds United and Coventry's 1987 triumph at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur for unexpected FA Cup final victories.

Wigan were by far the better team on the day and outclassed a disappointing Manchester City team across the field, with Callum McManaman particularly impressive.

Martinez has been widely tipped as a possible successor to David Moyes at Everton, and his team's performance in the final can surely only act as a spur to the Goodison Park club. Indeed, the Spaniard has won a trophy, something which eluded Moyes in 11 years at Everton.

Martinez must now attempt to guide his team out of the relegation zone in the final two Premier League matches of the season, but on the back of events at Wembley, nobody is going to bet against them just yet.

Reaching the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday was newsworthy enough for Wigan Athletic, especially given the likelihood of the club being relegated from the Premier League next weekend.

To beat a heavily favored Manchester City side? Well, it would be hard to fathom.

But beat them they did—and in heart-stopping fashion, no less.

Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles made a brilliant save to deny Carlos Tevez in the 29th minute, and scoreless it would remain as the Latics more and more got the better of the play as the second half went on.

Following a second yellow card to City defender Pablo Zabaleta in the 84th minute, second-half substitute Ben Watson clinically headed in off a Wigan corner kick in the 91st minute.

It was the only goal of the match.

Though Wigan still faces an uphill battle to stay up—three points down with matches at Arsenal and home against Aston Villa in the next week—taking home its first ever top-flight trophy in the club’s 81-year history will no doubt serve as an emotional spark.

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When Roberto Martinez became the first Spanish player to score in the FA Cup for Wigan Athletic against Runcorn in a first-round tie in November 1995, he couldn't have imagined 18 years later that he would be leading them out at Wembley in the final as the manager. 

“In those years, Wigan has changed completely, a new club has been born, and I have been honoured to play my part and help keep them in the top flight,” he told me. 

“It is an incredible football story, Wigan has come from the depths of the old fourth division to become a Premier League side, and we will now enjoy one of the proudest days of our history.” 

Wigan are teetering on the brink of relegation from the Premier League with only two games remaining, but, on Saturday, that will be put aside when they play Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

“I have come to appreciate the FA Cup as the greatest Cup competition in the world for its tradition and format, and this season it has provided us with a special journey.” 

“Our 3-0 win over Everton in the quarter-finals showed us at our best; we overcame a difficult opponent away from home with a wonderful display of quick attacking football and kept a clean sheet too. It was a real statement of intent from Wigan.” 

Even though Wigan under Martinez have fought a constant battle against relegation, he is still revered for the attractive football his teams always seek to play. 

“We will not change or compromise our style. Wigan has developed a real identity as a team because we like to keep the ball, work hard and control games.” 

“That style is ingrained in our club now; the fans enjoy it, and we always want to win playing the game the right way.” 

“I grew up watching Johan Cruyff’s great Barcelona’s side in the 1990s, and they had a big influence on me.” 

“I have always tried to follow Cruyff’s football philosophy because he demanded that his players were technically strong, tactically flexible and always valued the importance of possession.” 

“I now want to make history, and I want to start by helping Wigan to win their first ever FA Cup.” 

The magic of the FA Cup will be in full flow when Manchester City and Wigan meet on Saturday.

Neutrals may be hoping for the relegation-threatened side to win the trophy, and create a great story in the process, while City will be looking to salvage some respectability for the season.

The two sides have fulfilled both their Premier League encounters already this season, and City came out on top on both occasions. 

City have won the title five times in all, with their most recent win in the 2010/11 season helping to propel them their Premier League title last season.

This will be Wigan's first appearance in the final of the tournament, and they'll certainly be looking to make it a special one.

Here is a complete preview of the match with the latest team news and projected lineups.

Manchester City Team and Injury News

City's main goal recently has been to solidify second-place position, with Chelsea lurking in the shadows.

The Citizens have picked up three wins, one loss and one draw in their last five games. One of those wins came against Wigan.

With the firepower in the squad, and their previous results against opposition, City players may be confident of a win.

Scott Sinclair looks to be the only missing player for City heading into the game, so Roberto Mancini will have a virtually full strength City side at his disposal(via FantasyFootballScout).

Swansea City Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joe Hart; Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Matija Nastasic, Gael Clichy; Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia; James Milner, David Silva, Samir Nasri; Sergio Aguero 

Wigan Team and Injury News

Wigan may, or may not, like the distraction that the FA Cup final is bringing, as they have an important game against Arsenal during the middle of next week.

The Latics have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five Premier League games. They are just inside the relegation zone, and are three points away from Newcastle.

A win would certainly boost morale, but if it would be small consolation if they expend a lot of energy and lose against Arsenal.

There are a lot of injuries for Roberto Martinez to deal with, with key players such as Maynor Figueroa and Ivan Ramis to miss out (via FantasyFootballScout).

Wigan Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Ali-Al Habsi; Emmerson Boyce, Paul Scharner, Gary Caldwell, Roger Espinoza; James McArthur, James McCarthy, Ben Watson; Shaun Maloney, Arouna Kone, Callum McManaman

Players to Watch

Manchester City: Sergio Aguero 

Can the Argentinian increase his status with the Manchester City faithful by bringing in even more silverware? He certainly has the ability to do that.

Sergio Aguero hasn't been able to replicate his form from his debut season, but one game-winning goal could wash away a lot of his disappointments this season.

Wigan: Gary Caldwell

Gary Caldwell will have to marshal a back line that is missing a lot of key players for such a significant game.

Wigan have given up three goals against City this season, but 10 goals against them in the last five games is a disastrous return.

The defense will have to be in top form, and Caldwell the captain will have to lead the way.

*Unless otherwise stated all statistics courtesy of ESPN FC.

Jordi Gomez can remember the first time he set eyes on Wembley. It was four days before his seventh birthday and he was at home in his native Barcelona watching his beloved Barca win the European Cup with a 1-0 win over Sampdoria in May 1992. 

“It was a great night, we were all so happy, I can remember Ronald Koeman scoring the winner, and it was the first time Barcelona had ever won the European Cup,” he told me. “Wembley seemed to be a special place and I thought I would love to play there one day.” 

Twenty-one years later Gomez did that when Wigan Athletic beat Millwall in the FA Cup semi-final, and he will return there again tomorrow to face Manchester City in the final. 

The Spanish playmaker has been one of Wigan’s most influential players on their historic run to the FA Cup final this season.

He has scored three goals in the competition, against Bournemouth in the third round, the winner against Macclesfield in the fourth round and the third and final goal in that thrilling quarter-final destruction of Everton at Goodison Park. 

“I’m really enjoying my football this season,” says Gomez. “Life is never boring at Wigan, we are always fighting for something, and now it is to stay in the Premier League and also to win the FA Cup for the first time too.” 

Growing up in Barcelona, Gomez never expected to be here, he only had dreams of playing for his hometown club, who he joined as an 11-year-old and stayed for the next decade, making his way through the youth sides and playing for Barcelona C and B. 

“It was a great time, and I learned so much there,” he says. “It helped me become the player I am today as we were taught to play exactly the same as the first team, so you are always prepared.” 

“At Barcelona you are told to keep the ball, look after it, it is your friend, and never just get rid of it, which is the opposite to a lot of teams here in England.” 

For half a season Gomez played in the same Barcelona Under-18 side as Gerard Pique and a certain Lionel Messi. “Even then Messi was a great player, he would score two or three goals a game, but I don’t think you could have ever predicted what a star he would become.” 

In 2007, Gomez accepted he would never force his way in to the Barcelona first team and joined their local rivals Espanyol, but he only played three times for the first team before a year later agreeing to join Roberto Martinez at Swansea City on a season-long loan. 

“I thought, ‘Ok, I will give this a try,’ and from the very first moment it went really well for me. I had a Spanish manager, and some Dutch and Spanish teammates so we played a continental style, and it wasn’t very different to what I was used to at home.”

Gomez was a revelation for Swansea as they enjoyed their first season in the Championship for 24 years. His skill and creative attacking talents brought him 14 goals in all competitions and earned him a place in the Championship’s Team of the Season. 

When Roberto Martinez left for Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2009 he made sure he took Gomez with him on a permanent deal, but the player admits he was slow to adapt in his first two seasons in the Premier League.  

But Gomez began to express himself more from last season, which included scoring at Chelsea, and that has continued this season with his goals in the cup run and also a hat-trick against Reading, only the third by a Wigan player in the Premier League and the second ever by a Spanish player after Fernando Torres. 

“It took me some time to get used to Wigan, but I have done that now so it is easier to enjoy my football,” says Gomez. “The whole team better understands how the manager wants us to play.”

“I really like playing for Roberto Martinez, and can see after my time at Barcelona that he wants us to play just like them, because we have to keep the ball on the floor and pass it.” 

“I have enjoyed my time here very much, and what would make it even more special is to win the FA Cup. It would be a great achievement and the first thing I have ever won in my career.”

Ever since Roberto Martinez has been the manager of Wigan Athletic, the struggle to stay in the English Premier League has been a yearly theme at the DW Stadium. 

In the last three seasons under Martinez, the Latics have survived to play another season in the English top flight, but after their loss to Swansea on Tuesday night at home, the luck of the Latics may have finally run out. 

The 3-2 loss to Swansea kept the Latics in 18th-place in the table with 35 points. As of now, Wigan are just three points behind the trio of Newcastle, Norwich and Sunderland and four points behind Southampton. 

With four clubs within reach before the season closes up shop on May 19, there is still a possibility that Wigan could stay in the EPL, but there are plenty of things going against them at the moment. 

While the clubs ahead of them in the relegation race will be fighting for their top-flight lives over the weekend, Wigan will not because of their participation in the FA Cup Final against Manchester City on Saturday. 

Playing in such a prestigious event at the end of the season usually gives the participating clubs a glimmer of hope in a season that is lost.

But for Wigan, the FA Cup Final is just a distraction to their hopes. By playing at Wembley on Saturday, the Latics will be forced to play three matches in an eight-day span. 

After facing the assumed onslaught of the Manchester City attack on Saturday, the Latics will make a trip to North London to face an Arsenal club that are fighting for their own life in the race for the final UEFA Champions League spot. 

If that was not enough to frighten fans of Wigan, they could be fighting for survival on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium depending on how the weekend results pan out. 

On Sunday, Norwich and Newcastle face very winnable matches against West Brom and Queens Park Rangers, respectively, while Sunderland and Southampton square off at the Stadium of Light. 

If Norwich, Newcastle and Sunderland all come out of Sunday as victors, nothing less than a win over Arsenal would keep Wigan in the survival fight. 

If, and it is a big if, the Latics pull off the unthinkable and defeat the Gunners, they would have to face a suddenly resurgent Aston Villa side at home on the final day of the season. 

Even if the Latics find a way to win their final two matches, they are not in the clear due to goal difference. 

Currently, Wigan sit at -23, a mark that is shared by Newcastle. Norwich is at -22 on goal differential, while Sunderland (-12) and Southampton (-11) should keep their advantage unless they are blown out in their final two matches. 

With everything going against them at the moment, if Wigan somehow pull off another great escape, they will have accomplished the impossible.

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Wigan Athletic's next EPL game against Tottenham Hotspur is simply a must-win if they are to stay close to the teams directly above them.

If the Latics are to remain in sight of Aston Villa, Newcastle, Stoke and Sunderland, they cannot afford to drop any points against Andre Villas-Boas' men.

After a catastrophic day for Roberto Martinez, who saw his side lose 2-0 to West Ham, while three of Wigan's rivals all won, anything but maximum points against Spurs would leave them in huge peril.

Still in 18th, that Latics will be relying on Manchester United to beat Villa to at least keep one team close enough to overhaul.

If Wigan stay just three points behind The Villans by the time they face Spurs at the DW Stadium, a win would take them out of the drop zone.

A plus for Wigan is that United can now win the title with a win against Villa, after Manchester City's loss, after throwing away the lead, to Spurs.

Wigan, who haven't won in the EPL since their 1-0 victory against Norwich in March, need to start finding their shooting boots again.

They have only scored once, with a late Shaun Maloney goal to rescue a point against QPR, in their last three outings. If they don't find goals soon, relegation will loom large.

Martinez always remains positive and speaks highly of his team's performances and at the moment believes luck is not with them, but it can't last forever.

Talking to Sky Sports, after Wigan's second defeat in a row he said:

For us it is a good challenge to maintain that sort of performance, because you will never see a run of two games like we have had without collecting anything.

It's important that we don't drop our level of performance. If we keep performing like that, we will get the points that we need.

The problem comes when you drop the performance, but that's what we are going to be focusing on to make sure we get refreshed and ready for the next game.

Wigan will surely have to perform to the best of their ability again, if they are to triumph over Champions League-chasing Spurs.

Again, they will rely on their three danger men to help turn good performances (without the right result) into a winning display.

Shaun Maloney, Arouna Kone and Callum McManaman have to be at their best, and maintain their current good form, if the Latics are to stall Tottenham's surge for Europe's elite.

All three contributed to the Latics' FA Cup win over MiIlwall.  Maloney's goal was assisted by Kone, and McManaman provided the second, showing how important the three players are to Martinez.

Kone is due a goal to add to his haul of 10 in the EPL, but he will need the support of McManaman and Maloney, as the FA Cup finalists can't rely just on the Ivorian's goals.

Wigan will be buoyed by the fact that they beat Spurs this season at White Hart Lane with a sole Ben Watson goal, so they have nothing to fear in that regard.

However, they will come up against a Spurs side that were devastating in the second half of their 3-1 win over Manchester City.

That result re-ignited their claim for a top-four finish, and with the imperious Gareth Bale (who scored his 18th league goal), back after injury, will come to Wigan in confident mood.

For Wigan to win, they will have to be more clinical and show ruthlessness in front of goal. 

This was highlighted when Franco Di Santo was guilty of wasting a great opportunity against City, and Maloney more recently against the Hammers.

Their defense will have to be on song also, considering the threat Spurs bring with them. 

Jermain Defoe is in line to start after a great goalscoring return against City, and with Bales's speed a constant source of threat, the Latics can't afford to relax for a second.

Martinez will be sweating on the fitness of Paraguayan defender Antolin Alcaraz, who came off early due to a hamstring injury reported by The Telegraph.

With an away trip to Arsenal on the horizon, the Latics' best bet for wins will come against West Brom, Swansea and Aston Villa, who they play on the final day.

If Wigan don't win against Spurs, they will feel that they need to win those three fixtures and nothing less will do.

But, due to Wigan's inconsistency to string consecutive wins, the Spurs game is a must-win, especially as it is a home fixture.

However, the manager believes that his team require two wins and two draws from their remaining fixtures to be safe. He told WiganToday:

Everyone talks about the 40-point mark, but it’s probably less than that because, for teams like us, goal difference will play a part. Then you rely on other teams.

For you not to rely on anyone, 39 points is safe.

But we don’t look at the fixtures and say ‘we’ll get a point there and three points there’ – if we’d done that we would have gone down last season!

After next week's set of fixtures, things at the bottom will become clearer.  One of two things will happen.

Wigan may win and the teams immediately above slip up, dragging them back into the fold, leaving a number of teams in the survival battle.

The second scenario could see the gap either stay the same or end up increasing, which would leave just the Latics and Villa vying it out on the last day (assuming Villa lose at Old Trafford).

The latter option at present looks the most likely to come to fruition, but one thing remains obvious—Wigan must win the majority of their final five to have any chance of securing a ninth season in the EPL.

This little team from Wigan has been defying the odds ever since they entered the Football League in 1978 at the bottom of the fourth tier.

Now, they stand at the brink of their greatest achievement, having secured safe passage to the FA Cup Final for the first time after a worthy 2-0 victory against Millwall.

Latics, who currently sit 18th in the table, even get to have a dress rehearsal for the final, when they meet their Manchester City counterparts on Wednesday night.

It will certainly be interesting to see how the two teams battle it out ahead of the Wembley showdown. But if Latics fans could choose to take three precious Premier League points or create history by winning the FA Cup, which one would they choose?

Three EPL points would be most welcome in manager Roberto Martinez's quest to remain in the top flight for an unfathomable ninth season, but chances are they could achieve both.

The euphoria of reaching one of the most renowned cup finals in the world could springboard Latics' overachievers to EPL survival.

Devoted chairman Dave Whelan has not lost focus on how important it is for the club to stay in English football's elite and told Wigan Observer:

When we come out in the final it is something that is going to be a very special day, but staying in the Premier League is massively important.

We have done it for eight years now and everybody said we would last one year.

It is arguably more important than ever for Wigan to beat the drop due to the huge sums of money guaranteed to EPL clubs from TV rights.

Whelan added (h/t Wigantoday.net):

It is extra important this year because of all of the extra money coming into the game – I tend to plough a lot of that money into our youth facilities because Roberto and myself believe in getting our young players coming through.

Martinez, like his chairman, isn't getting carried away just yet either, and he knows that the final will have to take a backseat while all attention is strictly geared towards picking up valuable league points.

He told SkySports.com, "When you're at this stage of the season and you're still involved in two competitions and every game has an incredible meaning, it gives you that sense of focus and that's what I've seen at the training ground."

Tonight's away match to Manchester City starts a run of five league games before Martinez's men are led out at Wembley by Dave Whelan, who could be the first man to play in the FA Cup Final and lead a team out there, too.

On paper, three of these fixtures (West Ham, West Brom and Swansea) are all winnable and would take Wigan up to 40 points, which is deemed by many to be the benchmark for EPL survival. 

It will be tough work to get any points in the Etihad, and with the other fixture pitting them against Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur, Latics must make sure they pick up enough points against the mid-table teams.

Wigan traditionally come good at this stage of the season, but with a big chance to take three points wasted against the ten men of QPR on their last league outing, their inconsistencies may mean that it all comes down to the final fixture of the season against Aston Villa.

If it does come down to the final day again, Wigan will surely benefit from recent big-pressure games and utilise that experience to once again triumph on the last day.

They managed to win in their first-ever FA Cup semifinal and did that with the unusual tag of being favorites and having twice escaped relegation on the last day in the EPL. They would back themselves to do it again.

Home advantage against Villa would be crucial, and despite their poor form at the DW Stadium this season, they would expect to see most of the 22,000 fans that made the trip to Wembley inspire them over the final hurdle. 

Wigan Athletic have disproved doubters year after year, managing to survive in the Premier League by the skin of their teeth since 2005.

So why wouldn't they do it again this year?

Currently in 18th place in the Premier League table with two games in hand on relegation rivals Aston Villa, Stoke City and Sunderland, three points would put the Latics over Villa on goal differential.

Those three points will be difficult to pick up on Wednesday, as Roberto Martinez's men head to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City.

City are on a roll, having just defeated Manchester United in the Premier League and Chelsea in their FA Cup semifinal. Wigan aren't just facing a top Premier League side on the road, they're facing one in impressive form.

The likely absence of David Silva will raise the Latics' spirits but only slightly.

With Wigan highly unlikely to win in a match based around player skill alone, they must focus on the one battle they can potentially handle.

Roberto vs. Roberto. Martinez vs. Mancini.

While there's no question Mancini is the more accomplished of the two, two things will be weighing in Martinez's favor.

One is the fact that these clubs will play once again this season, except this time in the FA Cup final.

While Martinez values the rest of the Premier League season much higher than the FA Cup title, Mancini is at the point where he must realize his club won't be defending their title in England's top flight.

In fact, Mancini may very well be managing for his job in the final.

While second place is still no sure thing for the Citizens, Wednesday's fixture may be so lopsided in the eyes of Mancini and his assistants that they use the opportunity to feel out their opponent without the dominant intensity that has been present in their last two fixtures.

Secondly, if there's one group of teams City struggle to contain, it's the bottom feeders.

With losses to Sunderland and a then-reeling Southampton, as well as a draw to QPR and narrow victories against Aston Villa, Reading and Norwich, no victory can be guaranteed for the Sky Blues.

In Wigan's case, this is the time where they thrive.

Last season, Wigan took 15 of the possible 21 points in their last seven games, and in 2010-11, they took 11 points in the same time frame, both times nearly one-third of their overall total for the season.

In desperate situations, there's no better manager in football than Roberto Martinez.

Of course, Martinez can't do it all by himself, and a few players will need to bring their best.

Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi, back in the first team after four reasonably productive matches from Joel Robles, must live up to the hype surrounding his name and not make the embarrassing mistakes that counteract his excellent shot-stopping ability.

And in Wigan's aggressive 3-4-3 that could be used against City, the X-factor will be without a doubt Callum McManaman.

It's been a season McManaman may want to forget, highlighted by his horror tackle on Newcastle defender Massadio Haidara, but his performance at Wembley against Millwall in Wigan's FA Cup semifinal tie was superb. That sort of unexpected form will give Wigan an extra weapon in a match where they will need plenty.

City will score. But that doesn't mean Wigan can't score more. Goals from Arouna Kone, arguably Wigan's most valuable player throughout the season, as well as McManaman will go a long way for the Latics' chances.

On paper, Manchester City would win this match even if they were trying to lose it.

But at this point in the season, betting against Wigan is a massive mistake.