Wigan Athletic (a); The ACN Preview

Tonight Norwich City travel to the north-west to face Wigan, a side we have only met on 12 previous occasions and had only met 5 times, before our 2011 elevation to the top-flight. So not much to whet the old appetite this time I’m afraid.

Our first meeting took place on January 31st 1987 when Norwich, who were flying high in the old First Division faced Wigan in the FA Cup at their old Springfield Park home. The away fans that day were stood on an old grass bank, acting as a terrace. Norwich were lying 6th and had won 1-0 at Old Trafford just 5 weeks earlier, making us firm favourites. However, in a classic of the #AlongComeNorwich genre we lost 1-0 with a late goal from Paul Jewell. We would eventually get our revenge against him and 1p5wich.

The clubs would meet in the League Cup 11 years later. City clinched a 4-2 aggregate win, 1-0 at Carrow Road and 3-2 away.

Norwich and Wigan wouldn’t meet in the league until 2003/04, drawing 1-1 up North before a Good Friday showdown on TV. Two fantastic goals apiece from Matthias Svennson and Darren Huckerby edged Norwich another step closer to the Premier League.

7 years later the clubs met for the first time in the Premier League on the opening game of the season. Wes Hoolahan scored for Norwich at DW Stadium or in front of over 4,000 travelling Norwich fans. A Wes goal in a draw would be repeated at Carrow Road later that season.

Wigan were relegated in 2013 and Norwich followed them down the following season, bringing about Norwich’s first win at the DW Stadium. A strike from Johnny Howson beat Malky Mackay’s lacklustre Wigan in a game we dominated. Later that season, struggling Wigan came to Carrow Road and got revenge winning 1-0 just days after Norwich had beaten Ipswich. The Latics win did little to affect the eventual fate of either side that season as Norwich returned to the Premier League via the play-offs and Wigan were relegated to League One.

Neither side stayed in their new surroundings for long and after a season 2 divisions apart, the clubs are back together again this season. Two Jacob Murphy goals gave Norwich a 2-1 win at Carrow Road earlier this season and with Yanic Wildschut making an early return to the DW, on the back of 2 solid home wins, hopes are high that Norwich can complete a league double over the Latics.

• 3-2 – Norwich’s biggest win, 16 September 1998
• 1-0 – Wigan’s biggest win, 31 January 1987, 30 March 2013 and 4 March 2015
• 3 – Top City goalscorer v Wigan, Wes Hoolahan and Iwan Roberts