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Wigan Athletic vs. Southampton (FA Cup): Opposition threat

By Daniel Hargraves

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Paul Cook manager of Wigan Athletic looks on prior to the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Wigan Athletic at Vitality Stadium on January 6, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Paul Cook manager of Wigan Athletic looks on prior to the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Wigan Athletic at Vitality Stadium on January 6, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /
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BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 06: Paul Cook manager of Wigan Athletic looks on prior to the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Wigan Athletic at Vitality Stadium on January 6, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 06: Paul Cook manager of Wigan Athletic looks on prior to the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Wigan Athletic at Vitality Stadium on January 6, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /

On Sunday, Saints travel to the DW Stadium to face League One outfit Wigan Athletic for a place in the FA Cup semi-final and a trip to Wembley.

The match will be the first under new manager Mark Hughes after Mauricio Pellegrino was given his marching orders on Monday night.

Southampton haven’t reached an FA Cup quarter-final since the 2004/05 campaign and arguably have the best chance on paper to reach their first semi-final in the competition since the 2002/03 season where they reached the final, narrowly missing out to Arsenal.

Playing a third division side as a Premier League outfit will be seen as the perfect opportunity to get to Wembley, however Wigan will be no pushover having beaten runaway Premier League champions Manchester City in the previous round and another two top-flight sides before that as well as having momentum from a so-far successful league campaign.

So who could be the main men for the Latics who will seek a day at Wembley for the first time since their famous cup win in 2013?