Monday, November 24, 2008

Live text - Wigan v Everton


Wigan v Everton (2000 GMT)

GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times GMT)
606: DEBATE
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By Chris Whyatt

1948: So, let's look a little deeper at these teams. Wigan are without their top scorer Amr Zaki, who has failed to shake off rib and calf injuries but Heskey returns after a hamstring problem. Paul Scharner switches to centre-back to cover for the suspended Emmerson Boyce and midfielder Michael Brown replaces striker Henri Camara.

Manager David Moyes has Everton unchanged from the side that drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough in their last Premier League game on 16 November. He's just cited this stability as the reason they have started to win some games.

Not really seen any Everton stars such as Arteta and Cahilll do the business yet the season, have we?

1945: Stats are not my strong point but some people just excel at digging into the history books and number-crunching.

"The last time that all four failed to score on the same calendar day, and without there being a big four clash, was over 86 years ago on 18 March 1922," I have been reliably informed here at BBC Towers, which is being heartily backed up by many of you on 606.

1938: Teams are in people. Pore over these names:

Wigan: Kirkland, Taylor, Bramble, Scharner, Figueroa, Valencia, Brown, Palacios, Cattermole, Kapo, Heskey.

Subs: Pollitt, Kilbane, Koumas, De Ridder, Cywka, Camara, Routledge.

Everton:Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Cahill, Fellaini, Arteta, Osman, Saha, Yakubu.

Subs: Nash, Baines, Castillo, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Anichebe, Gosling.

Referee: Rob Styles (Hampshire)

1936: Not been handed the teamsheets myself but we are informed Amr Zaki is not fit to play for Wigan: big blow for them. Emile Heskey starts though.

Given that goals dried up like the UK economy at the weekend, surely they top the neutral's wishlist for this Monday night battle under dark Lancashire skies.

1930: I won't lie to you - I can't. But some wag out there, I've just discovered, has unearthed the month and year when Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all failed to score on the same weekend: September 1993.

John "Motty Motson is currently discussing that very topic on The Monday Night Club over on BBC Radio 5 Live (who, incidentally, will have full commentary on Wigan v Everton tonight). He says it's good for the "democracy" of the Premier League. Agree?

1920: Evening folks. That was a fairly remarkable weekend of Premier League football, don't you think.

Can you remember the last time the so-called 'Big Four' or, to put a different slant on it, the top five teams in the top-flight were shut out by tight-fisted opposing defences and thus failed to score a single goal between them?

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