Roberto Martinez has predicted that this season's relegation battle will be tighter than at the end of the 2010/11 campaign.

Wigan Athletic are currently in 19th place in the Premier League table on five points, ahead of bottom-placed Blackburn Rovers on goal difference. Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers are in 17th and 18th with six points apiece.

"It's important that we start getting positive results because we've shown many good things but you cannot get get away from the fact that you need to accumulate as many points as you can," Martinez told Sky Sports News.

"This league it seems that it's going to be even harder than last season in terms of the needs to achieve your aim. We're talking about football clubs who got relegated with 39 points.

"I expect this season to be along the same lines if not more because the newly-promoted sides come up with a real bravery and a real urgency to get points.

Wigan, whose last points came from a 2-0 win against QPR in August, travel to face Newcastle this weekend.