This Tuesday, August 8, 2017 (11:45 AM Pacific) Wigan Athletic will host Blackpool at DW Stadium for a match in the first round of the EFL Cup. Both teams had distinct campaigns last season to get to League One and should provide an exciting encounter.
From being in the Premier League and being FA Cup winners back in 2013, Wigan Athletic is now in the third tier of English football, League One. Former Portsmouth manager Paul Cook who led Portsmouth to a first-place finish in League Two last season will now look to lead Wigan back to the Championship.
Of course, The Latics did suffer some key departures this offseason but have kept players like Lee Evans, Andrew Taylor and Ivan Toney that should help the team through this rough patch. Wigan did start off the new season with a 1-0 win against MK Dons away from home and should win this game to get to the next round of the EFL Cup.
Blackpool finished seventh in League Two last season but achieved promotion through the playoffs. The Tangerines did not get the best start to the new season in League One, falling 2-1 against Bradford City away from home.
Gary Bowyer counts with a solid squad, Max Clayton being one of the more enticing moves this offseason and former Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso is one of the more dangerous players going forward on the team. The Seasiders should have a decent season and this will be a solid test to see in what form the team is early on.
