Preview: Wigan Athletic vs. Bournemouth

Top of the table meets second from bottom in the Championship this weekend as Bournemouth travel to face Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

The Cherries maintained their spot at the summit last Friday as they eased to a win over Watford, who were reduced to 10 men inside one minute at Dean Court.

The sending-off was a questionable decision and, by Eddie Howe's own admission, changed the game, but his side still put in another impressive performance to return to winning ways following back-to-back defeats.

Both of those losses came on the road, but Bournemouth are still able to boast the best away record in the Championship this season having amassed 27 points on their travels - the same as they have managed in front of their own fans.

Making the trip to the DW Stadium will not faze them, then, but Howe will be keen to ensure that complacency does not creep in having seen his side lose to struggling Leeds United in their last away league outing.

Their record at Wigan is not great either, having lost six and won none of their last nine visits, although the gulf between the two clubs will have rarely been as big as it is currently.

Bournemouth are the league's top scorers this season and have scored more second-half goals (34) than Wigan have managed in total (26) so far.

Howe was unsuccessful in his attempts to bring highly-rated youngster Demarai Gray to the club during the January transfer window, but will trust his current crop of players to fire the team to promotion following their brilliant campaign so far.

Indeed, he could name an unchanged side for this match, with Yann Kermorgant likely to keep his place having scored and hit the bar during the win over Watford.

Bournemouth will need to be wary of a Wigan side who had their own minor say on the title race last week, holding high-flyers Ipswich Town to a surprise goalless draw at Portman Road.

Despite that being a good result for the Latics, it did little to help their situation, with most of those around them in table picking up victories. They now sit just two points off the bottom and seven adrift of safety, with relegation to League One looking increasingly likely.

Wigan are without a win in six now and have only won once in their last 15 matches in all competitions, with Malky Mackay's appointment failing to have the desired effect at the club.

Their quest for survival was made even harder by a number of first-team players leaving the club in January and, although Mackay was fairly busy on transfer deadline day, their precarious position has certainly not been helped by the overhaul of players.

If they are to stay in the Championship this season, Wigan simply have to improve their dire home form. They have picked up just one point from the last 15 available and haven't won in front of their own fans since August.

Indeed, no team has amassed fewer home points in the Championship than Wigan, while their tally of two victories is also the worst in the league.

Ali Al-Habsi is likely to keep his place in goal this weekend having kept a clean sheet against Ipswich, while there could be debuts for the likes of Jason Pearce and Billy McKay.

Wigan:

Form in Championship: WLLDLD Form in all competitions: LLLDLD

Possible starting lineup: Al Habsi; Perch, Pearce, Ridgewell, Taylor; McClean, Huws, McCann, Waghorn; Cowie; McKay

Bournemouth:

Form in Championship: WWLWLW Form in all competitions: WLWLLW

Possible starting lineup: Boruc; Francis, Cook, Elphick, Daniels; Ritchie, Arter, Surman, Pugh; Kermorgant, Wilson

Sports Mole says: 0-2