Source: Telegraph
Chelsea's slip at Wigan allows Manchester United to top Premier League table
The defeat, which was Chelsea's first in 24 matches dating back to March, allowed Manchester United, who won 2-0 at Stoke, to move above Ancelotti's team on goal difference.[LNB]Although the former AC Milan manager maintained he was not too concerned by the result, it was a convincing victory for Wigan, who beat a 'big four' team for the first time in 35 attempts.[LNB] Related ArticlesWigan 3 Chelsea 1Henry Winter: Cole thawing fans' hostilityPremier League photosPremier League tableTelegraph player raterPremier League fixturesDidier Drogba cancelled out Titus Bramble's opener at the DW Stadium but Petr Cech was shown a straight red card for a trip on Hugo Rodallega that allowed the Columbian to restore Wigan's advantage from the spot before Paul Scharner added a third.[LNB]Cech will now miss next Sunday's home match with Liverpool, and Henrique Hilario is set to deputise. There are also concerns over Ashley Cole, who was carried off with a knee problem in the closing stages to leave Chelsea down to nine men, and Mikel John Obi, who sustained an ankle injury.[LNB]United won at the Britannia Stadium, thanks to goals from Dimitar Berbatov and John O'Shea, to leap-frog Chelsea but Ancelotti insisted he was not worried about this either.[LNB]He said: 'There will be a lot of competition until the end of the season and now we will stay together at the top of the list until the end. Wigan played very well, they showed very good organisation, very good play and I was surprised.[LNB]'We prepared very well for the match and we knew what was important. We have to accept this loss and fix it in the next match in the Champions League.' [LNB]Wigan's victory came after heavy defeats to Manchester United (5-0) and Arsenal (4-0) and their manager Roberto Martinez felt their performance showed what can be done against the big-hitters.[LNB]'When you are a team like Wigan and you've got Chelsea at home, you've got two options. You can be brave and beat them or you can get hammered,' Martinez said.[LNB]'The only reason that we won was that we maintained our standards, we learned our lessons and we were brave from the first second.' [LNB]While Chelsea's run came to an end, a miserable pattern of results continued for Portsmouth, whose 1-0 defeat at Fratton Park against Everton, courtesy of Louis Saha's goal, made it seven consecutive defeats. It is it the worst start to a top-flight season since Manchester United's in 1930/31 and they remain rooted to the bottom of the table.[LNB]There were plenty of goals elsewhere as Liverpool crushed Hull 6-1 at Anfield, with Fernando Torres scoring a hat-trick, to increase the pressure on Phil Brown.[LNB]Newly-promoted Burnley maintained their grim away form with a 5-0 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane where Robbie Keane scored four goals.[LNB]
