JORDI Gomez believes Wigan Athletic are coming into their own at the business end of the campaign – which spells trouble for their relegation rivals.
Six points from their last two games means Latics have a fighting chance of pulling off another ‘Great Escape’.
They remain in 19th spot in the Premier League with just seven matches left.
But they’re just a point off safety and only five behind sixth-from-bottom Aston Villa, who are in freefall.
And Gomez reckons the odds are stacked in Wigan’s favour – because of their previous history of beating the drop. “This team only really starts to get going at this stage of the season, when the pressure is at its highest,” Gomez told the Evening Post.
“It was the same last season and we managed to stay up, and hopefully it’ll be the same again this year.
“Because of what happened last year, there is a great confidence in the squad that we can stay up no matter what other teams are doing.
“We have been playing well recently without getting the points we deserve, but thankfully we were able to do that against Stoke at the weekend.
“To get back-to-back wins in this league isn’t easy, but we were all delighted to do it at such a crucial point.”
Victories over Stoke and Liverpool mean Latics can approach their next three matches – against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal – with great confidence.
And the Spanish midfielder rejects the notion that the door will be open for the likes of Blackburn, Bolton and QPR to steal a march on them.
“We have three difficult games coming up, but that’s always going to be the case at this stage of the season,” he recognised.
“Whether you are playing the teams at the top or the teams at the bottom, no-one is going to give you anything and you must work hard for every point.
“We have proved in the past that we can take on and beat the big teams, and we must draw on that experience again over the coming weeks.”
The three points against Stoke put the icing on a perfect week for Gomez, who signed a new two-year deal on the eve of the game.
“It’s been a great week for me – but the three points were by far the most important part of that,” he added.
“I have played more football this year than last year, so I am happy in that respect and it was an easy decision to sign a new contract. Hopefully, both of the years will be spent in the Premier League – and I am confident that will be the case.”
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