High-flying Wrexham are set to host Wigan Athletic at the Racecourse Ground on Sunday in League One.
The Red Dragons have won their last two games and will head into this weekend's clash expecting another three points, while Wigan are unbeaten in their last three and will feel capable of getting a positive result on the road this weekend.
Match preview
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Phil Parkinson's Wrexham are currently third in League One, having earned an impressive 45 points from their 22 matches so far.
The Red Dragons are two points behind Wycombe Wanderers in the automatic promotion places and will be looking for three points to put pressure on the Chairboys and Birmingham City in the title race.
Last time out, Parkinson's ever-ambitious side won 2-1 at home against Blackpool thanks to a remarkable strike from Paul Mullin and a late penalty from Steven Fletcher, and that result took his side's unbeaten streak to eight matches in all competitions.
That stretch goes back to a 1-0 loss against Stockport County in mid-November, and includes six wins and just two draws.
In the league specifically, Wrexham have lost just one of their last 13 games, keeping seven clean sheets in the process, and can boast the best defensive record in the division having conceded just 15 goals this term.
This weekend, the Red Dragons will face a side that have the joint-fourth worst offensive record in League One, and Parkinson will hope their defensive solidity can help to secure the points they need to maintain their push for a third successive promotion.
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Meanwhile, Shaun Maloney's Wigan are 14th in the third-tier after picking up 27 points from their 21 games to date.
Last time out, the Latics followed up a derby-day win over Bolton Wanderers on December 14 and a draw with Shrewsbury Town a week later by beating Rotherham United 1-0 on Boxing Day, a match in which academy product Babajide Adeeko netted his first career goal.
They may have been disappointed to have drawn with relegation-threatened Shrewsbury, but those three results gave Maloney's side a crucial seven points that has taken them four places up the table them from the 18th-placed they were after losing to Leyton Orient on December 7.
More importantly, Wigan were just two points above the relegation zone after losing to the Os, but now, eight points above the relegation places and seven from the playoff spots, the Latics are the definition of mid-table.
With this in mind, Maloney will be looking to continue his side's form with another positive result on Sunday that would help to both secure their future in the division and move them up the table, though it will be difficult for them to overcome such a high-calibre side.
Team News
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Wrexham boss Parkinson has mentioned that George Evans is back in training after recovering from an ankle ligament injury he picked up in October, and though he did not feature against Blackpool, he could make the squad this weekend.
First-choice goalkeeper Arthur Onkonkwo is nearing a return from a broken wrist that he suffered last month, though Mark Howard is likely to start between the sticks once again.
Similarly, striker Jack Marriott, who is in the process of recovering from a broken fibula, has been running on grass but is not expected back in action until 2025.
In his absence, Ollie Palmer will start up front with Paul Mullin, who will be looking to build on his excellent goal last time out and kickstart what has been a poor season by his standards.
Meanwhile, Wigan are likely to be without Matt Smith after he was taken off with an injury against Rotherham, and Scott Smith, who was substituted on in that game, could take his place in the XI on Sunday.
Elsewhere, boss Maloney is likely to task midfielders Babajide Adeeko and Thelo Aasgaard with assisting striker Dale Taylor in breaking down League One's best defence.
Wrexham possible starting lineup:
Howard; Barnett, Cleworth, O'Connell, Brunt, McClean; Cannon, James, Rathbone; Mullin, Palmer
Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Tickle; Sibbick, Kerr, Aimson, Sessegnon; S Smith, J Smith, Adeeko, Aasgaard, Thomas; Taylor
We say: Wrexham 2-0 Wigan Athletic
Both sides will come into the game with confidence from their form, though it is difficult to ignore the consistency of Wrexham's results.
Additionally, the Red Dragons' excellent defence may prove too strong for the Latics to breach, and this makes a win for the hosts on Sunday seem almost inevitable.
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