Posh set to end the month in pole position but face tricky season run-in

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League leaders Peterborough United welcome third from bottom Wigan Athletic to the Western Homes Stadium on Saturday as the hosts look to extend their gap at the top.

The Posh moved to the top of the table in style on Tuesday evening after a specular second-half 3-0 victory away at Plymouth Argyle helped them knock Lincoln City off top spot.

Sammie Szmodics, Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jack Taylor were all on target – the latter with a stunning strike from 25-yards to earn his side a fifth straight league win.

Stand by for a @jackootaylor stunner! ? #EFL | @theposhofficial pic.twitter.com/IjJrsoxAic

— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) February 24, 2021

Darren Ferguson’s side hold the joint second-best defensive record in the division (25 against – one goal behind Sunderland) as well as the joint best goalscoring record (alongside Hull City on 49 but the Tigers have played two more games) with the Posh now 7/4 favourites to win the title.

Yet the Cambridgeshire club must remain mindful as they promptly lost four of their next five League One games when they last occupied first-place in November. 

The Posh play two of the bottom three, Wigan and Burton Albion, in their next three games, before they face the toughest run-in of any of their promotion rivals (soccerstats). 

According to soccer stats, the Posh have the hardest run-in of any side in the promotion picture.

However, nine of their remaining 17 matches are at home including huge meetings with Hull City, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Doncaster Rovers and Lincoln City which is good news for the Posh, as they hold the best home record in the division with no other team dropping fewer than five points. 

The Posh also have to play away at promotion rivals Oxford (2nd March), Charlton Athletic (24th April) and Doncaster (final day of the season).

Having played the easiest fixtures of the term already, the pressure is on for the Posh. But if they continue to pick up points against their close competitors in the run-in, they’ll prove their Championship worth.

Currently, on 58 points, Peterborough need 16 more to match the last tally that got them to the Play-Offs in 2014. If they continue to play the way they have in the four at the back formation, top two – let alone top six – will be nailed on.

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