Despite what was going on around them both sides eased into the final, simply playing better football than their respective semi-final opponents. In the league there is a different picture, though, with City building up steam after their derby victory and Wigan still in the relegation zone.
Wigan have two games in hand and this time last year were bamboozling opponents thanks to a switch at the back, changing to a back-three in defence. City are unlikely to be flustered by such tricks, with the direct running of Yaya Toure and the forward momentum generated by their midfield unlikely to be knocked off course by the likes of Boyce and Figueroa.
Wigan have kept a clean sheet in the first half of their last five fixtures, keeping a 90-minute clean sheet in three of those last five.
In 2006 Wigan blitzed City, seeing four unanswered goals pass Nicky Weaver between the sticks. Emile Heskey, Henri Camara and Antonio Valencia all scored, while Richard Dunne chipped in with an own goal. From that fixture only Micah Richards and Emerson Boyce have survived, and after that day Wigan did not lose again to City for five fixtures, eventually losing away from home in 2009.
Via: [Live Football] Shanghai SIPG - Tianjin Teda - Chinese Super League
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