'Wigan Athletic are a top team', insists West Brom chief

Although Latics remain in the bottom three heading to the Hawthorns, they are second - to the Baggies - in the form table over the last seven matches.

And Bilic says if his men underestimate Paul Cook's side in the slightest, they risk their promotion push being derailed.

“We’re not playing...it’s what I want to say not only to the players, but everybody connected with West Brom...we’re not playing a bottom three team.

“They’re there now, but listen - the last seven games...it’s not one good week, last seven games we’re talking about five, six weeks.

“They’re second. We’re first, they’re second. So we’re playing a team who is in a hell of a form, they’re doing really well and they deserve to win the games.

“They were lucky a little bit against Leeds, but they deserved it. Everybody has to be lucky when they play Leeds away to get a result.

"I watched them against Millwall, I watched them against Reading.

“They absolutely dominated the game. They’re on the front foot, they have players with pace and confidence and quality. They have everything.

“They have numbers in attack. They had 10 chances - sometimes you can win 3-0 away without playing that good, but it wasn’t one of those games.

"They are a top team - we’re talking about seven games, it can’t be a fluke.

“At the same time, we’re above them. In those seven games, we’re the team that is above them.

"We’re confident, we’re good at the moment and we have to go in to it in the same way.

“We’ve played the teams in form already - Bristol City were in form, Preston were in form so we’re not afraid of that challenge.

"But for everybody it can’t be a case of this being one per cent easier - no way.

"This is going to be difficult.”