Preview: Reds v Wigan

Liverpool continue their Barclays Premier League campaign against Wigan Athletic at Anfield tonight.

The Reds will be looking to bounce back from the disappointment of two consecutive home defeats to Fiorentina and Arsenal.

The Latics have never won at Anfield in their history, although they proved a tough nut to crack last season as the Reds needed a late Dirk Kuyt goal to secure a 3-2 win.

In the last meeting between the two sides, Wigan held Liverpool to a frustrating 1-1 draw at the DW Stadium in January.

The opposition

Wigan currently lie in 14^th position in the Barclays Premier League after amassing 18 points from their 16 matches so far.

The Latics are currently on a run of just one win in their last six games and were last month demolished 9-1 by Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

They come into this game on the back of a 2-2 draw at Stoke City last time out - in which Maynor Figueroa scored a goal from his own half and Hugo Rodallega had a late penalty saved.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez said: "Liverpool are on the back of a disappointing result, but they have a world-class squad which alone makes them a very dangerous side.

"In a way their game against Arsenal was very similar to ours against Birmingham City recently; in the first-half they were very dominant and you have found it difficult to believe that they would not have got anything out of the game, if not the win.

"They'll start very brightly on Wednesday and we need to be able to cope with that, and make sure we continue with the standards we showed at Stoke.

"Anfield is one of the Premier League's most glamorous places and we need to be at our best to get the points we couldn't get at Stoke."

The danger man

Hugo Rodallega is Wigan's top goalscorer so far this season having tallied six goals in the Barclays Premier League.

The powerful Columbian striker actually made his Latics' debut against Liverpool in January's league draw between the two sides at the DW Stadium - and the 24-year-old almost became an instant hero as he rattled a late free-kick against Pepe Reina's crossbar.

Rodallega made his name in Mexican football before moving to England, and his searing pace and technique make him a real handful for defences.

Match stats
By Ged Rea

Dirk Kuyt has scored more goals for Liverpool against Wigan than any other player - five.

Only one player has ever scored a hat-trick for the Reds against Wigan. Steve Staunton scored all three as a second half substitute in a League Cup tie on this ground (with Liverpool the away team!) in 1989.

Liverpool have scored in all eight league meetings with Wigan.

From the 16 players involved in the squad from the first ever league meeting between the clubs in December 2005 only three players - Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard - remain at Anfield.

Fernando Torres could play his 100th game for Liverpool in all competitions. He has scored 60 goals so far. Only five players have ever scored more than 60 in their first century of games for the Reds.

He requires two goals in his next 11 games to reach 50 in the league quicker than any other player in Liverpool's history.

Liverpool's next draw will be their 50th under Rafa Benitez in league games.

Liverpool will be looking to score in a 20th successive home league game for the first time since February 1992.

On both occasions the Reds have lost at home in the league this season the opposition's opening goal has been scored by a Liverpool player.

The Latics have picked up just two points out of 24 in their league history against Liverpool - last season at home and at Anfield in 2007-08 when Titus Bramble scored in a 1-1 draw.

Wigan's defeat of Chelsea this season, was the first time in 35 attempts that they have beaten a 'top four' side.