Bristol City took their time to get going at the start of this season, with two defeats and a draw in their opening three games. However, since then they have looked a much better team, winning four games in a row before losing 4-2 away at promotion chasing West Brom on tuesday night. Wigan came up from League One this season and so far they have performed very well, much better than people predicted to be fair to them. They are currently in 8th position with four wins from their opening eight games, and two of those wins have come in their last three games so recent form is no worry with them. They come here on the back of a 2-1 victory against Hull City on Tuesday night, and confidence in the camp is sure to be high as they look to pick up another valuable three points.

With two solid looking teams going head to head at the DW Stadium on Friday night, we should be in for a very good Championship game and one that looks sure to be a close contest. Can Bristol City get back to winning ways after a loss on Tuesday night, or will Wigan continue their impressive start on their first season back in the English second tier? All will be revealed when these two take the field on Friday.

Are Bristol City an Early Season Team?

At one point last season, Bristol City fans would have been very excited at their promotion prospects, things appeared to be going very well for them and the team was playing some great football. That run included a cup win over Manchester United, something that brought this team to the attention of many people who has simply not recognised just how good they were playing. However, as the season drew to a close they really struggled to pick up points and eventually after looking like potential promotion candidates they finished a disappointing 11th position. That came after being second in the table at Christmas, which begs the question, are Bristol City a team to focus on early in the season, and forget about when the big games come towards the end?

While the aim is to try and play at a good, consistent level throughout the season, we have some teams in all sports that either show up or fade away when the going gets tough and the important games come around. Based on what we saw last season, a case could be made for Bristol City to be one of those teams, but one that shy’s away when the going gets tough, and one that will always struggle to keep up with the promotion candidates.

While their chances of promotion looked to be genuine at Christmas last season, eventually their 11th placed finish was probably where they should have finished. At times we saw glimpses of real quality, though this was more evident in the early stages of the season, and was something that we didn’t see towards the end. The promise looks to be there, but now this team has to find a way to compete on every single weekend of the season, something that is much harder than it sounds in a league as tough as the Championship.

Something that Bristol City fans should remember about last season was that despite falling from 2nd to 11th in the second half of the season, that 11th placed finish was their best finish since the 90/10 season, so still deserves a lot of praise. Had they started slowly and climbed the table to 11th, the season would have been viewed as a success but because of how they started and then faded, the season will always be looked upon as one that got away.

What is the Realistic Aim for Wigan Athletic?

It doesn’t feel too long ago that we wee watching Wigan beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup. That was back in 2013, but a win over the same opponenets in the cup last season will certainly have brought back some memories. Since their cup win though, things have been tough for Wigan and this is their first season back in the Championship after winning League One ahead of local rivals Blackburn last season.

The club has previously played in the Premier League, although the Championship is where they look to be ideally suited and their aim for this season would probably just have been to stay in the league. They look more than capable of doing that based on what we have seen so far, and perhaps their aim has already changed to a mid-table finish after the start they’ve made.

Longer term, Wigan have the club structure, the ground and the finances to be able to push themselves towards the top half, and eventually towards the top of this league. They are probably always going to lack something, but there is a lot of big clubs in the Championship right now, and this league is certainly not for the faint hearted.

If what we have seen so far is a sign of things to come from this club then relegation can be forgotten about straight away and a mid-table finish looks to be a far more likely scenario. This is a club determined to stay in the second tier, with aspirations of top flight football once more no doubt.

Wigan vs Bristol City Betting Tips

I don’t think there is too much to choose between these two, although if you were to look at the recent form they have shown then I think Bristol City have the edge. They didn’t lose anything in defeat to West Brom on Tuesday night, they went up against a good side who are beginning to find their rhythm in this league and one that will win a lot of games.

With this in mind I’m going to back them to get back to winning ways away at Wigan on Friday night, it is a game that won’t be easy but one that I feel they can win. Wigan have started well, much better than many imagined they would but we know that this is as good as they can be this season. I think Bristol City have more to offer, and that can be the difference between the teams.

There won’t be much in it, but the slight edge, especially when you factor in the prices on offer with the bookmakers, has to go to Bristol City here and they are the bet to win this one.

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