With Wigan and Fulham having made solid starts, both clubs will view this as a fixture they can win to continue the early-season optimism.
For Fulham in particular, six points from 12 so far is a real boost, especially as a year ago at the beginning of Martin Jol's tenure they failed to win any of their opening six league matches, making their eventual ninth-place finish even more creditable.
well, with both Mladen Petric and Dimitar Berbatov marking their full debuts with two goals each.
Wigan know all about the Bulgarian's threat as he scored a hat-trick against them in a rare Manchester United start last season.
Berbatov could prove to be a priceless piece of business.
Jol knows him well after their time together at Tottenham and it's only 16 months since he finished a season with 20 Premier League goals.
If they can create the chances for him, Berbatov's undoubted quality could help them into the top-10 again.
His strike partner from last weekend needs no introduction at the DW stadium either, as Hugo Rodallega returns for the first time.
The Colombian will be best remembered for his final-day goal at Stoke in the 2010-11 season which kept Wigan in the Premier League.
If Wigan are to avoid any more late dramas this season then you feel this is the type of fixture they need to win, or at least take something from, but often they have slipped up against the lesser lights.
That's why the four points they have claimed against Southampton and Stoke so far will offer encouragement, as will goals in those games for Franco Di Santo.
The fact that his seven goals last season made him their top scorer illustrates their lack of cutting edge in 2011-12.
While Fulham are unbeaten in their last six visits to Wigan, they've lost both away league matches this season and have won only seven of their last 58 away from Craven Cottage.
Three points for either side would be another timely boost.
Head-to-head
-
Wigan won two of their first three Premier League games against Fulham but since then they have gone 11 matches without a win against the Whites (D6, L5).
-
Fulham drew five successive games at the DW Stadium until they won 2-0 there last season.
Fulham
-
Dimitar Berbatov has scored eight goals in 10 Premier League games against Wigan, including a hat-trick for Manchester United in last season's 5-0 victory at Old Trafford.
-
The Whites have lost their last four league and cup away games without scoring. The last Fulham player to score an away goal was Mahamadou Diarra, in April's 3-0 win at Bolton. They did win 1-0 at Liverpool in May, but did so courtesy of a Martin Skrtel own goal.
-
All six of the league goals they have conceded this season have been scored in the first half.
Wigan
-
Defeat at Manchester United was only Wigan's third loss in 10 league games (W6, D1, L3).
-
Wigan have conceded 11 Premier League penalties since the start of last season, more than any other side.
-
However, Ali Al-Habsi has saved five of those spot-kicks, three more than any other goalkeeper during that period.
-
Roberto Martinez's side have lost five of their last six Premier League games against London opposition. The exception was their 2-1 win at Arsenal in April.