Barclays Premier League

FT: WIGAN 0 LIVERPOOL 4

A hat-trick from Luis Suarez earns Liverpool the easiest of victories and takes the Uruguayan to 21 Premier League goals for the season, two more than Manchester United's Robin van Persie. The Reds took control from the off and went in front inside two minutes when Stewart Downing headed home from close range. The architect of that first goal, the impressive Brazilian, Coutinho, also made the second on 18 minutes with an incisive ball to find Suarez and he beat Ali Al Habsi with ease. The Liverpool striker's second was a little more fortuitous, his free-kick taking a deflection off the wall before finding its way into the net thanks to some less than impressive goalkeeping from Wigan's stopper. The hat-trick was duly completed four minutes into the second half with another clinical finish after Glen Johnson had waltzed through the home defence to supply the assist. On another day, Wigan might have had a couple of goals themselves but Emmerson Boyce and Franco Di Santo were both denied by outstanding saves from Pepe Reina. That, however, would merely have glossed over an abject defensive display from the Latics. They really were four goals inferior to Liverpool and if their dismal home form continues there might be no great escape for Roberto Martinez and his men this season.

INTO STOPPAGE TIME

There will be a minimum of two minutes of added time.

OFF THE LINE

Henderson's headed effort is cleared off the line by McCarthy after Agger had won the initial header from a right-wing corner.

ESPINOZA ESCAPES A CARD

Espinoza is lucky to escape a yellow card for a mistimed lunging tackle on Allen, who has been caught several times this evening.

REDS STILL POUR FORWARD

Liverpool counter-attack with purpose, but Henderson's final pass just won't fall for Allen and Wigan smuggle it clear.

FANS DUCK FOR COVER

Gerrard tries an ambitious volley with the ball dropping over his shoulder, but can only find the gleeful Liverpool fans behind the goal.

REINA SAVES AGAIN

McManaman goes on a searing run down the right, only to over-hit his cross. Maloney collects the loose ball and tries to curl an effort for the far corner, but Reina dives to his left to push it away.

KONE LIMPING AROUND

Arouna Kone looks to be struggling a bit with injury. He's been a non-factor to be fair, so even if he had to go off and leave Wigan to play out the last 15 minutes with ten men it's arguable many might not even notice.

LIVERPOOL SUBSTITUTION

Liverpool's first change sees the outstanding Coutinho replaced by Jordan Henderson.

REINA IS THERE AGAIN

Reina makes another good save to tip away Maloney's header. Scharner had climbed highest to win the initial ball and it looked as though the Wigan man managed to get in an effort on goal even though he might have got a shove in the back.

TREADING A FINE LINE

Shaun Maloney is body-checked by Lucas, who needs to be a little bit careful having been booked in the first half.

LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS

If Wigan manage to leak another five goals in the last 24 minutes they will find themselves in the relegation zone. Aston Villa supporters must be lapping this dismal display up at home. It's reminiscent of some of the Midlanders' performances around Christmas time.

LANDMARK FOR SUAREZ

With two goals in the first half, Suarez became the third Liverpool player to register 20 goals in a Premier League season, following in the footsteps of Messrs Fowler and Torres. Even if that second goal is taken away by the dubious goals panel (which it shouldn't), the Uruguayan definitely does have 20 now.

WIGAN SUBSTITUTION

Wigan's final change sees Callum McManaman replace Jean Beausejour.

WIGAN BOOKING

James McArthur is cautioned for a crunching tackle on Coutinho.

HUNGRY FOR MORE

Suarez is hungry for more goals. He never, ever lets up even when the game is in the bag and ghosts past the last Wigan defender before over-running the ball. At the other end, Reina comes up limping after a collision with Kone.

IMPRESSIVE COUTINHO

Philippe Coutinho really impressed me in that first half. The Brazilian looks to have all the skill of Raheem Sterling, with an end product. Don't get me wrong, Sterling's got bundles of talent, but I've lost count of the times Luis Suarez has thrown his hands up in exasperation after the teenager has chosen the wrong option at the crucial time. Coutinho has had the ball in the danger zone twice in the opening period and picked out the right pass on both occasions.

UNHAPPY DI SANTO

Di Santo stormed off straight down the tunnel after being taken off. There appears to be real disharmony in the Wigan ranks. Caldwell, meanwhile, is having an ice pack strapped to his knee.

WIGAN DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION

Wigan make a double switch, with Antolin Alcaraz and Roger Espinoza coming on for Caldwell and Di Santo.

GOAL: WIGAN 0 LIVERPOOL 4

Luis Suarez completes his hat-trick for Liverpool, racing on to a pass from Johnson and slotting the ball through Al Habsi's legs.

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED

Wigan have made no changes at the interval. Roberto Martinez, presumably, has demanded a change of attitude from his men.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Liverpool get the second half under way.

HT: WIGAN 0 LIVERPOOL 3

Well, that's as comfortable a half of football as Liverpool have enjoyed all season. They took the lead after 101 seconds and have been in total control ever since. The opening goal was crafted by the impressive Philippe Coutinho, who beat his man before setting up a chance for Stewart Downing that the England winger could have headed home with his eyes closed. Coutinho was the creator of the second as well, with an incisive pass between two defenders for Luis Suarez, who clinically finished for his 19th goal of the season in the Premier League. Number 20 was not long in coming, a free-kick from the Uruguayan ended up in the net via the head of Shaun Maloney, the hands of Ali Al Habsi and the post. Wigan have been awful in defence, but they have created the odd chance going forward and Pepe Reina has made magnificent saves to deny both Emmerson Boyce and Franco Di Santo. Oh, and to make matters worse Wigan's players have been fighting amongst themselves. Never a good sign.

REINA TIPS OVER

Lucas is shown a yellow card for bringing down Maloney 25 yards from goal. Beausejour lines up a shot, but his effort is tipped over by Reina. That's half-time.

LIVERPOOL BOOKING

A foul from Joe Allen earns the Liverpool midfielder his second yellow card of the season.

SUAREZ DENIED A THIRD

Al Habsi makes a good save to deny Suarez a hat-trick after Boyce allowed the Uruguayan to collect the ball 20 yards out. Dreadful defending again from Wigan.

QUALITY STOP FROM REINA

Reina makes another stunning save, tipping over Di Santo's powerful header following an excellent cross from Beausejour on the left.

WIGAN BOOKING

Caldwell is booked after committing yet another foul, this time on Coutinho.

GOAL DETAILS

It was a bizarre goal. Suarez's tame free-kick took a deflection off Maloney in the wall and squirmed through the hands of Al Habsi before going in off the post. That's the Liverpool man's goal in my book.

GOAL: WIGAN 0 LIVERPOOL 3

The ball is in the net from Luis Suarez's free-kick and Liverpool have a third.

WIGAN OFF THE PACE

Beausejour's corner from the left bypasses the Liverpool defence but again the Wigan man waiting for ball is caught flat-footed when it drops to him. The home side want handball outside the area against Reina, but the referee is not interested.

SUAREZ IN THE MOOD

Suarez brings down another lofted ball from Gerrard quite superbly, but Scharner just does enough to put the Uruguayan off before he can get his shot away.

WILL YOU SETTLE FOR TWO?

If you offered Roberto Martinez a two-nil defeat at this stage, he would probably take it. The way this game is panning out it is seriously going to dent Wigan's goal difference, which was six better than Aston Villa's coming into this match.

FLAT TRACK BULLIES

Liverpool are one of the Premier League's bullies. They have an appalling record against the top sides, but have won nine and drawn two of their 12 matches against sides in the bottom half of the table.

WIGAN PLAYERS ARGUE WITH EACH OTHER

Liverpool threaten to add a third, but Suarez is dispossessed. Wigan's defence is all at sea and Boyce and McArthur have a bust-up inside the area. Mr Atkinson speaks to both Latics team-mates, asking them to cool it.

GREAT SAVE FROM REINA

Wigan mount a real threat from a Beausejour free-kick. The ball bobbles around in the area before it drops to Boyce, whose acrobatic volley is pawed away by Reina.

GOAL DETAILS

It was another goal crafted by Coutinho, who slid a delightful pass between centre-back and full-back for Suarez to run on to and it was a formality that the Uruguayan was going to beat Al Habsi.

GOAL: WIGAN 0 LIVERPOOL 2

Luis Suarez doubles Liverpool's lead.

SLICK PASSING MOVE

Coutinho and Allen combine well, but the ball just doesn't roll kindly for Gerrard or the Liverpool captain would have been odds-on to add a second.

IN NEED OF A LIFT

That inspirational gathering in the car park doesn't seem to have had the desired effect for Wigan. The fans will be in the same place after the game calling for Roberto Martinez's head if the Latics don't raise their game.

LIVERPOOL MILESTONES

Steven Gerrard is making his 400th Premier League start for Liverpool today, while defender Glen Johnson makes his 100th start in the Premier League for the Reds.

BUOYED BY READING DEFEAT

Wigan will be buoyed by Reading's defeat at Everton earlier in the day. The feel-good factor didn't last for long, however.

UPCOMING FIXTURES CRUCIAL

Wigan are obviously desperate for the points, but you feel anything they get from this match and the next at Manchester City will be a bit of a bonus. Far more crucial are the trio of matches after that at home to Newcastle and Norwich and away at Queens Park Rangers.

GOAL: WIGAN 0 LIVERPOOL 1

Downing heads Liverpool in front after 101 seconds, nodding in from close range after Coutinho skins Boyce down the Liverpool left.

BAD MISS FROM KONE

Wigan have a glorious chance in the opening minute. Boyce hangs over a wonderful cross from the right which Carragher misses and consequently catches Kone by surprise. The volleyed effort is more back pass than blistering shot.

HERE WE GO

Wigan kick off, attacking the goal to our left.

STARTING LINE-UPS

Wigan: Al Habsi, Boyce, Scharner, Caldwell, Figueroa, McArthur, McCarthy, Beausejour, Maloney, Di Santo, Kone. Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Allen, Downing, Suarez, Coutinho.

TEAM NEWS

Wigan are unchanged from the side that won at Reading while Liverpool make just one change from their Europa League match with Zenit, Philippe Coutinho taking the place of Jordan Henderson.

PREVIEW

Wigan Athletic welcome Liverpool to the DW Stadium on Saturday, anxious to build on the 3-0 win at Reading last weekend that lifted the Latics out of the relegation zone. Manager Roberto Martinez has a novel game plan for this one – he is hoping the outcome will be decided in the car park before the match. Hordes of Wigan fans are expected to congregate in front of the ground prior to kick-off in a vociferous show of support aimed at lifting the home players for the challenge ahead. The DW faithful tried something similar last season, and although their rallying cry only resulted in a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, Wigan went to Liverpool the following weekend and won, the catalyst for a run of seven wins in their last nine games that carried them clear of the relegation zone. “This initiative was a turning point last season and I do hope this can change around the results we have had at home so far,” Martinez said. “The players were shocked to see a lot of fans waiting in the car park and after that they came in with a completely different mental approach.” Liverpool will be well rested having not played in nine days and came so close in that Europa League outing to overhauling a three-goal deficit to Zenit St Petersberg, only to fail gallantly on away goals. It was a special European night for Brendan Rodgers, who is hoping his side can climb high enough up the table in the remaining 11 games so that more memorable European evenings are on the agenda at Anfield next season. Rodgers said in the build-up to this match that he owes a debt to his opposite number in the Wigan dugout. Having failed at Reading, the next managerial job Rodgers took on was at Swansea which was, he says, made so much easier thanks to the excellent groundwork done by Martinez before he left for Wigan. Today's game kicks off at 1500GMT, so join us around 30 minutes beforehand when we should have the confirmed team news, which will be followed by a match commentary.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Luis Suarez may be 40/1 to win the PFA Player of the Season award, but those long odds shouldn't diminish how critical his play has been in hauling Liverpool up the Premier League table. The Uruguayan has 18 Premier League goals to his name this season, just one behind Manchester United's Robin van Persie, who is likely to be rested by Manchester United on Saturday. Suarez spoke this week of his desire to stay on Merseyside.“I always say the same thing, every kid or young player growing up dreams of playing here at Liverpool, and today, here I am, highly privileged doing just that,” he said. “I enjoy every minute to the maximum because it's a great opportunity that my life has presented me and for which I am very pleased. I'm here at a club where I always wanted to be and where I always wanted to play, and for that I'm extremely happy.”

HEAD TO HEAD

Liverpool have the better head-to-head record in league meetings between the sides with eight wins to two by Wigan and five games being drawn. At the DW Stadium, Liverpool have three wins to one by Wigan, with a further three meetings ending up all square. Wigan lost their first three home Premier League matches to Liverpool, but have not been beaten since, winning one and drawing three of the subsequent four matches. The earlier meeting between the sides at Anfield on Nov. 17 resulted in a 3-0 win for Liverpool, with all the goals coming in the second half, Luis Suarez scoring twice and Jose Enrique getting the other. The corresponding match last season finished in a goalless draw.

FORM GUIDE

Wigan start the weekend in 17th place with 24 points from 24 games, above Aston Villa and out of the relegation zone only by virtue of their superior goal difference (if -18 can ever be considered superior). Liverpool lie in eighth place, one point behind West Brom, and only three adrift of their Merseyside rivals Everton. Wigan have lost seven games at home this season, more than any other team in the Premier League, and along with Reading have the worst defensive record in front of their own fans, having let in 27 goals. Wigan's comprehensive win at Reading last weekend ended a run of six games without a win. Liverpool thrashed Swansea 5-0 last time out in the league (Feb. 17), though the Swans arguably had one eye on their upcoming Capital One Cup final.

EARLY TEAM NEWS

Antolin Alcaraz could return to the centre of Wigan's defence, having come on as a late substitute in last weekend's win at Reading, the first action the Paraguay international had seen for six months following a groin injury. Emmerson Boyce is also fit after hamstring trouble and Ryo Miyaichi (ankle) is close to a return after three months out with an ankle problem. Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is still struggling with the thigh injury he picked up in that impressive display against Manchester City and faces a late fitness test. Martin Skrtel is fit again after a knee injury, and it will in interesting to see if he returns to the Liverpool defence following Jamie Carragher's catastrophic early error in the Europa League match that ultimately cost his side the chance to progress. Fabio Borini (shoulder) and defender Martin Kelly (knee) are definitely ruled out.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Taking charge of today's game is Martin Atkinson, who has been a member of the Premier League's elite group of referees since 2005 and who became a FIFA referee a year later. The West Yorkshire-based official showed nine red cards last season, by far the most of any Premier League referee. Atkinson has been much more restrained this time around with Newcastle's Cheick Tiote at the Stadium of Light in the Wear-Tyne derby his only sending off to date in 19 Premier League outings. His 3.8 cautions per game, however, is the highest among top-flight officials. Atkinson's assistants today are Peter Kirkup and Gary Beswick, while Lee Mason is the fourth official.