Happy New Year Everyone!

Wycombe Wanderers will start off the fourth year of the decade away at fellow League One promotion-pushers, Peterborough United.

No love has been lost between the two sides in recent years, and with the Chairboys currently unbeaten in their last two matches against the Posh this season, can they get 2023 off to the perfect start?

Here is everything you need to know as Gareth Ainsworth’s team head up to Cambridgeshire for the New Year’s Day clash.

Current Form and Background on Peterborough United

The Posh go into the match off the back of a 2-0 victory over Wycombe’s Buckinghamshire neighbours, Milton Keynes, on December 29.

It was their first win in six league outings after suffering four straight defeats, along with a frustrating draw away at struggling Charlton Athletic.

Amazingly, out of the 10 league games they have lost this season, eight of them have been by a single goal.

The only two that were not by a solitary strike were the 2-0 defeat away at Plymouth Argyle in August, and the 3-1 loss at Adams Park in October.

Goals from Garath McCleary, Sam Vokes, and Anis Mehmeti helped the Chairboys come back from behind to defeat the Posh for the first time since 2018.

Grant McCann’s men currently sit in seventh place – one place above Wycombe with both teams currently on 35 points, however, Peterborough have a superior goal difference over the Chairboys.

Current Form and Background on Wanderers

Wycombe ended 2022 with a 1-0 away defeat at league leaders Plymouth Argyle, which saw the Chairboys make eight changes to the starting line-up from the win at Bristol Rovers.

Names such as Sullay Kaikai, Daryl Horgan, and Ali Al-Hamadi all came in for rare league starts, whilst Nick Freeman, Chris Forino, Joe Jacobson, Curtis Thompson, and Brandon Hanlan also began the game at Home Park.

It is expected that the team similar to the one that defeated Bristol Rovers on Boxing Day will be named at London Road, as Wycombe hope to start the new year with a victory.

A win over Peterborough (coupled with results going the Chairboys’ way), could see them go as high as fifth.

Out of Wanderers’ nine league losses so far this season, six of them have been by one goal.

The Last Five Meetings

2022/23: Papa John’s Trophy: Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Peterborough United (Wycombe win 4-3 on penalties after 90 minutes)

2022/23: League One: Wycombe Wanderers 3-1 Peterborough United

2019/20: League One: Peterborough United 4-0 Wycombe Wanderers

2019/20: League One: Wycombe Wanderers 3-3 Peterborough United

2018/19: League One: Peterborough United 4-2 Wycombe Wanderers

Overall Away Record Against Peterborough United

Games: 13

Wycombe Wanderers wins: Three

Draws: Two

Peterborough United wins: Eight

Overall Record Against Peterborough United

Games: 30

Wycombe Wanderers wins: 11

Draws: Eight

Peterborough United wins: 11

Miscellaneous

  • Peterborough’s Jonson Clarke-Harris has scored 15 goals in 29 games in all competitions this season, with 13 in the league. He is currently the top scorer in League One this campaign.
  • Overall, he has played against Wycombe eight times and has scored twice, registering one assist.

  • Josh Knight, who once was of Wycombe and is now at Peterborough, is the latest Wanderers player to be sent off at Adams Park.
  • This was in April 2021 when the Chairboys lost 3-1 at home to Luton Town in the Championship.
  • Wycombe’s last win at London Road against Peterborough was in May 2006, whilst the last time they completed the double over the Posh was in the 2002/03 season.
  • The referee for the game will be Samuel Barrott.
  • He has taken charge of three previous Wanderers games which have ended with Wycombe not winning.
  • They were against Derby County this season (lost 2-1), away at Ipswich Town in December 2021 (lost 1-0) and away at AFC Wimbledon in April 2022 (drew 1-1).
  • Under Gareth Ainsworth, Wycombe have won two, lost two and drawn one of their New Year's Day fixtures.
  • 2013: Wycombe Wanderers 0-1 Exeter City
  • 2018: Forest Green Rovers 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers
  • 2019: Wycombe Wanderers 0-2 Coventry City
  • 2020: Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Ipswich Town
  • 2022: Charlton Athletic 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers