Wigan Athletic vs. Manchester City: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Manchester City hopes to maintain or extend its three-point Premier League lead over Manchester United when they visit Wigan Athletic on Monday. Sergio Aguero scored a hat trick to lead the Citizens to victory when the two sides met earlier in the campaign.

City has rode its dominant offense to the top of the table, but enter the game on a two-game losing streak with losses to United in the FA Cup and Liverpool in the Carling Cup. That won't bother them too much, though, because the Citizens are focused on winning the league first and foremost.

Wigan doesn't enter the game in top form, either. The Latics fell to League Two side Swindon Town in their last game and haven't picked up a win in more than a month. They will need to pick up the pace in the season's second half if they want to avoid relegation.

Where: DW Stadium in Wigan, England

When: Monday, Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com

Betting Odds: Manchester City -295, Wigan Athletic +775, Draw +345

Player to Watch for Wigan Athletic: Franco Di Santo

Wigan hasn't been able to generate many offensive fireworks throughout the season, but on that rare occasion they do put on some sustained pressure, Di Santo is usually in the middle of it. The 22-year-old Argentine striker has four goals to tie for the team lead.

Even though his stints with Chelsea and Blackburn were unsuccessful, he's seemingly found a niche with the Latics. Gaining extended Premiership experience at such a young age should help him continue to improve moving forward as he nears his prime.

Player to Watch for Manchester City: Edin Dzeko

Dzeko continues to fly under the radar with City, but he's putting together a pretty solid season. While Aguero steals most of the headlines, the Bosnian has tallied 10 goals and three assists while continuing to play his usual aggressive style.

Perhaps the biggest reason the Citizens have been able to take the Premier League lead is their balanced scoring. They don't rely too heavily on any single player, and that means opposing back lines can't key in on stopping one or two guys to neutralize the attack.

Key Matchup: Maynor Figueroa vs. Sergio Aguero

It hasn't been a banner year for Wigan's defense, but Figueroa has been one of the lone bright spots. After helping ensure the Latics would remain in the Premiership with a key assist last season, he's been able to show off some more potential during the current campaign.

The veteran from Honduras has played in every game and is often asked to keep the opposing team's offensive threats under control. He's an intense competitor that will likely spend a lot of time keeping his eye on Aguero on Monday.

What They're Saying

Wigan Athletic is looking at a possible loan deal for Manchester United forward Mame Biram Diouf, according to the Daily Mail. He sounded intrigued about a possible move.

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“Wigan is an option and a good one. I want to go and play week in, week out and try to impress Sir Alex,” said Diouf, 24.

"If I can finish the season strongly I can challenge next season like Danny has done. Wigan could be key for me."

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Speaking of potential transfers, Carlos Tevez's move away from Etihad Stadium appears to be on hold, based on a report from The Guardian. The unhappy striker is desperately trying to find an escape route, but things aren't falling his way quite yet.

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The future of Carlos Tevez has been thrown into more confusion after talks between Milan and Manchester City officials broke up without reaching agreement just hours after Internazionale withdrew from the race to sign the South American.

Tevez is still in Argentina, having effectively concluded he has no future at City since the furore over his non-appearance during a Champions League game against Bayern Munich in September.

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Prediction

Manchester City 2, Wigan Athletic 1