The Voice - Match preview #37: Wigan Athletic vs Bradford City Saturday 14th March 2026 3:00pm

EFL League One Fixture #37
Saturday 14th March 2026 15:00
Wigan Athletic (20th) vs Bradford City (4th)
Brick Community Stadium

Record:
Games Won: 12
Games Drawn: 7
Games Lost: 11

Last 5:
24 Oct 2015: Bradford City 1 – 1 Wigan Athletic
18 Nov 2017: Wigan Athletic 1 – 0 Bradford City
18 Nov 2018: Wigan Athletic 1 – 2 Bradford City
14 Mar 2018: Bradford City 0 – 1 Wigan Athletic
26 Dec 2025: Bradford City 2 – 1 Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic:
Gary Caldwell returned to Wigan Athletic for his second stint as manager having also played over 100 games for the Latics, taking the reins from Ryan Lowe last month. The change had an immediate effect, with Wigan Athletic winning their first two home games under their new manager courtesy of 1-0 wins over both Luton Town and Huddersfield Town. Away from home, points have become increasingly hard to come by for the 4th worst travellers in the division, but Caldwell did steer his side to a 1-1 draw at Blackpool despite enduring a 4-2 defeat in his first away fixture as manager at Stockport County. Note, however, that Wigan saw two men sent off before eventually succumbing to a brace of 90th minute goals from Stockport’s top scorer Kyle Wootton.

Those improving trends hit the buffers on Tuesday night, however, as Wigan were soundly beaten on home soil by Plymouth Argyle. Aribim Pepple grabbed two and Caleb Watts helped himself to the third as the Pilgrims ran out convincing 3-0 winners, with Caldwell left to rue “a poor performance overall”, and challenging his players to “look in the mirror, learn from the game, and come back stronger and ready to win a game of football on Saturday”. That game on Saturday will be at home to high-flying Bradford City, who posted their second away win of 2026 when they bottom side Port Vale 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Former centre back Caldwell, whose services Wigan Athletic secured from League One rivals Exeter City courtesy of a compensation fee, will need to see an improvement in his back line’s ability to handle set pieces. Blackpool scored against Caldwell’s back line after just 4 minutes when Oliver Casey’s diving header directed a free kick from out wide past Sam Tickle, and it was almost a mirror image the following game as Pepple converted a goalkeeping spillage from another free kick out wide. Tickle won’t have wanted to see that one back, nor would his entire defence require a replay of Plymouth’s second goal. Argyle seemed to walk through the disjointed Wigan back line before Malachi Boateng laid the ball off to an unmarked Pepple to help him to his second of the night, and it got even worse from there. An Owen Dale header stung the gloves of Tickle as he was (surprise, surprise) left unmarked from a corner, before Caleb Watts rounded off the scoring stroking home after some awful Wigan defending.

Wigan Athletic did have their chances, however, with Joe Taylor rattling the woodwork not once, but twice, and there was an almighty shout for handball as Jack MacKenzie appeared to stop another effort from Taylor with his arm. No penalty was the verdict from referee Scott Oldham.

On another day, Wigan Athletic could have given Plymouth Argyle a much sterner test, but there is still no defending the at-sea defending and almost non-existent marking from set pieces. Wigan Athletic are 1 of 7 teams in League One to have exceeded the 50 goals conceded milestone, and it’s fairly easy to see how that might have happened. Going forward, only 3 teams have scored fewer this season, though the arrival of Joe Taylor on loan from West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town has seen the Welshman double his season’s tally from 6 to 12 in just 10 appearances for the Latics. He is a man in form and a real danger with good pace and clever movement, and could have potentially grabbed a hat trick against Plymouth barring a lick of paint (twice) and a big call for a penalty.

Wigan Athletic 0 – 3 Plymouth Argyle


Blackpool 1 – 1 Wigan Athletic


Bradford City:
Tyreik Wright will take a lot of plaudits for his display at Port Vale, his 31st minute shot too hot to handle for Valiants keeper Joe Gauci, allowing Bobby Pointon to fire home the spill from close range, before the former Villain thumped home a drive from the edge of the area to seal all 3 points. It wasn’t a game contested on a knife edge, exactly – Bradford City dominated from start to finish – but there were a few eyebrows raised even among the contented travellers at the number of opportunities wasted by the Bantams.

After 13 shots on target and 8 off, Bradford City might have hoped to make greater inroads into a goal difference tally that is far inferior to the 3 sides above them in League One, but the only stats that truly mattered were the 2-0 scoreline and the 3 points off the back of a fine away performance.

Graham Alexander sang young forward Ethan Wheatley’s praises, and at times the Manchester United man was unplayable to everyone not named ‘Gauci’, frequently breezing past a back four that looked pedestrian by comparison. If only Wheatley had taken his gilt-edged one-on-one by committing to either power or placement, but once again the youngster found only the outstretched limbs of a very grateful opposition goalkeeper. It’s become a familiar story, but Graham Alexander is correct to look at Wheatley’s other attributes. Wheatley presses well, works hard, and while not physically the most robust forward in City’s ranks, that looks to be an aspect of the game that could improve. Above all, though, for as long as City were storming forward with Wheatley at the spearhead, the opposition were getting pinned back and penned in, bringing the Bantams’ other attacking threats into play – and on Wednesday night it was Tyreik’s night.

Taking his tally for the season to 3 (including his EFL Trophy goal against Doncaster Rovers), Tyreik is beginning to revel in an attacking capacity on the left flank whether as a left wing back or a left-sided attacking midfielder and winning over some early-season critics. Bobby Pointon, too, was a constant threat, and it was the 22 year old who followed up on Wheatley’s best chance for a goal, only to see his subsequent shot blocked for a corner before eventually opening his ‘Away’ account for the season!

There was also the added luxury of Graham Alexander making a triple attacking substitution at 2-0 up, with all of Stephen Humphrys, Paul Mullin and Will Swan coming on, and further testing the Port Vale backline.

Now they move swiftly on to a second quickfire away day, again heading down the M62, this time to Wigan Athletic, another side embroiled in a relegation battle, but not as deeply entrenched as Port Vale. It will be a game Bradford City fans will be relishing now, with the prospect of consecutive away wins to add to their imperious home form, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Margins have been tight all season for Bradford City, and that isn’t going to change any time soon – winning by 2 goals represents the biggest margin of victory in league action all season, well shy of the likes of Bolton (5-1, Exeter City, A), Lincoln City (4-0, Northampton Town and Blackpool, H) and Cardiff City (4-0 Plymouth Argyle (H), Barnsley (H), and Doncaster Rovers (A)).

Port Vale 0 – 2 Bradford City


Bradford City 2 – 1 Leyton Orient

 

Prediction:
Gary Caldwell and Joe Taylor are the pairing Wigan Athletic have turned to as they seek League One survival this campaign, and both have got off to a decent start. Unfortunately for Caldwell, the 3-0 defeat at home to Plymouth Argyle was a reminder of why the side performed so poorly under Ryan Lowe, with his side’s defence in particular underperforming. Joe Taylor, at the other end of the pitch, has grabbed 5 goals in his last 7 outings for the Latics, and has made an immediate impact up front. His goals will be key for Wigan if they are to stay up, as he has already eclipsed the club’s joint highest league scorers this season in Paul Mullin (yes, the new arrival at Valley Parade), Callum Wright, and Fraser Murray who all have 4 goals to their credit this season.

That is slim pickings, though another January arrival in Owen Moxon also looks to have added some guile to Wigan’s attack and has already bagged twice from an attacking midfield berth. His most recent contribution was to grab the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Blackpool last weekend.

City, meanwhile, continue to rely heavily on the experience-and-youth partnership of Bobby Pointon and Antoni Sarcevic in attacking midfield, with Graham Alexander potentially having swallowed his pride and given them a run of games after being questioned about making so many changes. Whether that will be the case again on Saturday remains to be seen. Wednesday night’s win over Port Vale was pedestrian at times, but the fact it was moved from the Tuesday to accommodate Vale’s cup heroics leaves City with scant opportunity to rest and recover. Thursday, Friday, game day… certainly we shouldn’t expect many changes to the tactics even if the personnel requires a tweak here or there.

Aden Baldwin remains suspended, but the defence performed manfully against Vale in that dominant win. They will have their hands full, though, against Taylor and Moxon in particular, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Wigan Athletic helped themselves to a goal or two. The question then is, what can Bradford City back the other way? The Bantams will look to capitalise on Wigan’s ongoing issues defending set pieces and free kicks, while also hoping their more creative and athletic attackers pose Wigan problems on the ball. Realistically, the Lancashire side look susceptible in both areas.

Bradford City don’t score 2 goals too often, and haven’t scored 3 since September, so I wouldn’t expect a goal fest here either. The problem is, if Wigan can get their forwards on the ball, and they are able to make the most of their improving returns in front of goal with their new look attack, it’s doubtful City will have the firepower to respond too emphatically. A draw looks likely, but I will pick a 2-1 win for the Bantams as the good times roll against another struggling side.

Final Score:
Wigan Athletic 1 – 2 Bradford City