The Potters travel to the DW Stadium this weekend to play Wigan after picking up ten crucial points from their last four games, following four controversial defeats in a row. Stoke have a decent away record this season and have beaten West Brom and Newcastle but have lost all the other six trips in 2010/11. Wigan have only two league home wins this season, along with three defeats and three draws from their eight home games so far. In the 11 matches between these sides at Wigan, the Potters have won 3, the hosts 4 and four have been drawn. Last time the pair clashed at the DW Stadium the game ended 1-1 with Tuncay equalising late on after Paul Scharner had opened the scoring. Overall Wigan have won 5 times to the Potters 10 victories. The referee is Mike Jones. This season he took charge of the Potters when they won away at Newcastle by two goals to one, and also oversaw the victories over York and Sunderland last season. He hasn't refereed Wigan this season but reffed them three times last season, a 1-0 win against Burnley, a 1-0 defeat at home to Wolves and a 4-0 defeat at Arsenal. The Met Office report that there will be drizzle, temperatures of a chilly 2 degrees celsius, poor visibility and a light 5mph wind. Prediction: Stoke take advantage of a Wigan side that has numerous players out injured and banned to take an early lead through Jones. A late Tuncay goal doubles the advantage and confirms the Potters take the points back to the Potteries
Stoke sit 8th in the Premier League, after being 17th just three weeks ago, and will be up to try and inch further away from the relegation zone and hopefully into a european position. The hosts are ten places below City but have a terrible recent record against Stoke, the Latics have never beaten Stoke in the top flight.