English Premier League: Evra vows to banish United’s Wigan ghosts

City manager Mancini unconcerned by league position.

WIGAN: Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has promised there will be no repeat of last season’s debilitating defeat at Wigan Athletic when the sides meet again tonight.

Alex Ferguson’s side were beaten 1-0 at the DW Stadium at the start of a run of just one win in four matches that led to Manchester City regaining control of the title race on the way to winning the Premier League.

Evra is adamant that with the options that Ferguson has available, tiredness cannot be an excuse.

“I think we have to use the bad experiences we had last year,” said Evra. “I remember last year we lost 1-0 at Wigan and we showed nothing.

“This year there will be no excuse for us. We will just go there, play like Manchester United always do, and make sure we get the three points we need to extend our lead, because it’s really important we do that.”

League table not important: Mancini

Meanwhile, City manager Roberto Mancini believes the league table is irrelevant until February, ahead of his side’s home game with Stoke City. Mancini’s side have lost two of four league matches, including a defeat by United, in December.

Ever since the 3-2 loss to United, Mancini has maintained that, with half of the season remaining, there is no need to panic.



“It’s not important to look at the table right now because it’s not final and it’s not May, but we need only to work, to win and then maybe we’ll look again at the table in February, when things start getting serious,” said Mancini.

Benitez cools title talk

Interim coach Rafael Benitez says Chelsea have no thoughts about a title challenge despite closing on the Manchester clubs after a fourth straight victory.

Benitez’s side’s 2-1 win at Everton on Sunday moved them to within four points of second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand.

“We have a game in hand but we still have to win that game,” said Benitez. “Our idea is to approach the competition thinking about one game at a time. We are not watching the table too much.”

Meanwhile, Aresenal manager Arsene Wenger feels the club’s Premier League title hopes are still alive after a recent revival, but says they have little margin for error if they are to sustain their challenge and hope to break back into the top four.

“We come from far and we need to be consistent if we want to have the chance to come back and win the title,” said Wenger. “What is at stake is that we must show we are consistent from game to game.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2013.