- Lampard (13), Robben (63), Kirkland (70 og), Drogba (90)
- Date:2007-01-13
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Stamford Bridge
- Attendance:40846
- Referee:Atkinson, M
Live Commentary
90mins
Chelsea end up with a more than comfortable 4-0 scoreline and Wigan will feel let down that at least 2 of the goals could have been avoided, this leaves Wigan without a win in 7 matches while Chelsea silence the critics with a powerful display
90mins
CHELSEA 4-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC (DROGBA): Drogba rises in the box and heads home from a Mikel cross and Chelsea get their fourth with only seconds to go in stoppage time.
88mins
Drogba commits a foul and Wigan recieve a free-kick, Skoko decides to let fly with his effort, but it goes wide
85mins
Ferreira comes off and Geremi comes on making his 100th Premiership appearance
84mins
The game has subdued and it seems Wigan have, in the main, given up the ghost on taking any points from this game
81mins
Robben and Kalou come off feeling that they've done their job well and youngsters Sahar and Mikel replace them
80mins
Ten minutes to go and some Wigan fans have begun to leave as the Chelsea fans begin to enjoy themselves as they believe that this match is wrapped up.
77mins
Heskey is taken off and Johansson comes on in his place as Jewell makes his final sub
77mins
Wigan have made some changes but it seems it will be to no avail as Chelsea do look more composed on the ball than they have done in recent weeks
74mins
After a foul on David Unsworth, Drogba is booked
73mins
Haestad comes off after a bad debut display and is replaced by Landzaat
70mins
CHELSEA 3-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC (KIRKLAND): After a ball in from Robben, Kirkland's ebow is hit by the ball and the ball then goes into the net, the announcer has given the goal to Robben, but it seems more of an own goal.
67mins
That goal stopped Wigan in their tracks, forcing Paul Jewell to make a change and try to reply quickly which inturn, can hopefully get Wigan back in this match.
65mins
Cotterill is taken off and Ryan Taylor replaces him as Taylor makes his first appearance in a year after serious injury
63mins
CHELSEA 2-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC (ROBBEN): After a dreadful pass from Haestad, who is making his debut, Robben takes full advantage and rounds the keeper to make it 2-0 to Chelsea.
60mins
Worrying times for Wigan as the ball deflects off a Wigan defender and falls to Drogba, but he scuffs the shot and The Latics get away with it
60mins
Ballack goes for goal but his effort goes over, how long will Paul Jewell leave the game like this, he may need to make a change of some kind sooer rather than later.
58mins
The home crowd are in good voive and are willing their team on to create some more chances.
55mins
The second half is being played at a slower pace than the first half, but the longer Chelsea go without scoring, the more nervous the home crowd will get about the possiblilty of a Wigan comeback
52mins
Ballack makes a very late tackle and does well not to be booked by the referee.
50mins
Haestad is booked for a foul on Robben
49mins
Ballack and Robben stand over a free-kick in a dangerous spot just outside the Wigan box, but Ballack puts the ball over the bar and danger is avoided.
46mins
No changes have been made at half-time but Wigan have put Heskey on the left hand side with McCulloch upfront in hope that this partnership will bring a goal
45mins
Referee Martin Atkinson gets the second half underway and Chelsea will be looking not to repeat their mistakes of previous league matches and letting teams come back to earn a point, whereas Wigan will be hoping that's exactly what happens.
45mins
HALF TIME: CHELSEA 1-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC: The ref blows for the break, and Wigan, despite being a goal down, well feel encouraged by a battling display and will feel confident that they are still in this.
45mins
Wigan get a good position after a poorly cleared corner, but the referee blows for a free-kick and the chance has gone.
44mins
Half-time approaches and Chelsea will be looking to keep things tight until the break whereas Wigan are still confident that they can get this goal as the last few minutes of good posession proves.
42mins
Paul Jewell has moved McCulloch more upfield as he looks to change things around and get Wigan back in this game.
40mins
Wigan are currently 12 points behind what they were at this stage last season, a reflection of how their current league form has dampened their season.
38mins
The game has slowed in tempo as Chelsea are just passing the ball around with ease, but Wigan do look like they could create good chances if they could commit more men upfront.
36mins
Wigan aren't helping themselves by giving the ball away to Chelsea who are looking in goal-scoring mood
33mins
The resulting free-kick from Lampard is saved well by Kirkland as he tips the ball round the post
32mins
Cotterill is booked for a bad foul on Wayne Bridge
30mins
Essien is making his 50th appearance for Chelsea today, and he'll be looking to mark the occassion with a good performance, which so far, he is doing.
28mins
The champions are turning up the pressure on Wigan and new Wigan signing Unsworth will have to work hard on his debut if he wants to help keep Chelsea at bay.
25mins
McCulloch is booked for unsporting behaviour
24mins
Heskey strays offside again and he seems to be isolated upfront as a lot of responsibility has been placed on the strikers shoulders.
22mins
Wigan have almost gone into a 5 man midfield as McCulloch looks to be patrolling the middle of the park.
19mins
After a good opening exchange between the two sides, Wigan will feel that they don't derserve to be one goal down, but Chelsea are always going to take their chances in front of goal
16mins
Baines intercepts well to stop a dangerous Kalou chance, and Wigan are certainly on the back foot here
13mins
CHELSEA 1-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC (LAMPARD): After a mistake from Kirkland in goal, Lampard's free-kick goes through every player in the box and somehow finds its way into the back of the net
11mins
Drogba has a good effort but he flashes the ball over the bar, the chance was created by good work from Robben
10mins
Both sides are playing well but Chelsea and Wigan are as yet to find that killer ball that could open up the respective defences.
7mins
Heskey runs clear of the Chelsea defence but is flagged offside, and the Blues will have to be careful after Heskey caused them so many problems in the reserve fixture
5mins
Wigan have made a positive start but have yet to create any good goal-mouth chances while Chelsea are passing the ball around well with Lampard having some good touches
2mins
Chelsea will be looking to keep quiet all the rumours circulating in the press about their current unrest with a positive victory against a Wigan side who have it all stacked against them going into kivk-off.Chelsea will be looking to keep quiet all
0mins
Chelsea will be looking to pick up a crucial win today as their run of 3 league draws has left them 7 points adrift of leaders Man Utd, Wigan meanwhile are in their worst run of form under Paul Jewell as they haven't won in 7 games.
0mins
New signing Unsworth replaces injured captain De Zeeuw as Wigan look to halt their miserable run of form with: Kirkland, Boyce, Hall, Unsworth, Baines, Cotterill, Skoko, Haestad, Kilbane, Heskey, McCulloch
0mins
Carvalho, with his 100th start for the club, Drogba and Lampard return for Chelsea as they look to pick up 3 vital points with: Hilario, Ferreira, Carvalho, Essien, Bridge, Ballack, Makelele, Lampard, Drogba, Kalou, Robben
Match Preview
Chelsea's patched-up defence returns to Premiership action with the visit of struggling Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
The Blues' recent toils continued with a 1-1 draw with Wycombe Wanderers in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final meeting with the League Two side on Wednesday.
Michael Essien and Paulo Ferreira were the midweek central defensive partnership and in the continued absence of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho through injury, the pair look set to continue in unfamiliar positions.
After the Wycombe match, Jose Mourinho revealed Terry would not be rushed back from back surgery despite the champions picking up just three points from the last possible nine on offer in the Premiership during his absence.
Ashley Cole has added to Mourinho's defensive headache as he will miss the visit of the Latics through suspension as Chelsea look to win their first Premiership match since December 23 - when ironically they defeated Wigan 3-2.
The Blues are now six points behind leaders Manchester United but have been boosted by the return to full-fitness of Arjen Robben.
The Dutchman looks set to return to the starting line-up alongside Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba who were rested in midweek.
Wigan are in serious danger of being dragged into the relegation dogfight if their recent horrible run continues.
Paul Jewell's side have lost their last five Premiership matches and have slipped to 17th place in the table.
Part of that dismal run was a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago in which Emile Heskey scored twice but the champions netted a last minute winner through Robben.
Jewell continues to be frustrated in the transfer market as he looks to bolster his confidence-shy squad, but at present there has been plenty of activity through the exit door at the JJB Stadium without many arrivals.
advertisement
advertisment
Match Report
Chelsea responded to the week's suggestion of infighting by producing a performance of champions to blow away hapless Wigan at Stamford Bridge.
The star man was Arjen Robben, whose wing play dazzled the opponents into submission and he should have scored more than just the one goal.
As it was, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and an own goal sealed Wigan's fate and plunged them towards the relegation zone of the Premiership.
With Andriy Shevchenko apparently suffering from a hamstring injury, Jose Mourinho welcomed back Robben to the wing and continued with the mis-firing Salomon Kalou in attack.
Chelsea's first attack of the game came via a free-kick on four minutes but Lampard's rasping 20-yard strike went straight into the well-drilled Wigan wall.
A fine left-wing move involving Robben and Wayne Bridge saw the England left-back race into the Wigan area on 11 minutes and arrow across a fine left footer which Drogba did well to get his left foot to. Unfortunately for the Ivory Coast hitman, his shot inched past Chris Kirkland's right-hand upright.
But two minutes later Chelsea took the lead through a complete mix-up between Kirkland and Fitz Hall. A respectable Lampard free-kick bounced on the six-yard line and dropped into the left-hand corner of Kirkland's net with both defender and goalkeeper expecting each other to clear.
Robben, just back from injury, produced a moment of magic on 24 minutes when he jinked past three Wigan players before receiving a one-two from Drogba inside the penalty area, but a byline cross was cleared by Lee McCulloch before Michael Ballack could head home.
A well-worked free-kick by Drogba and Lampard on 32 minutes saw the England midfielder fox the Wigan defence and he let fly from 20 yards but Kirkland responded well by tipping the ball past his post for a corner.
Wigan started the second half in determined mood and Bridge did remarkably well to hack away a Kevin Kilbane effort on goal on 52 minutes.
But goal number two was inevitable and another gift for the Blues. On 63 minutes Kristofer Haestad took it upon himself to roll a back pass to his goalkeeper but staggeringly under-hit it.
In stepped livewire Robben, who pounced on the ball, ran into the area and easily side-stepped Kirkland before slotting home with a cool right-footer from eight yards out.
Robben had another fine left-footed shot from the edge of the area saved by Kirkland on 68 minutes before he tore the Wigan defence apart and forced an error from Kirkland, who allowed the Dutchman's low drive to be deflected into the empty net for number three.
With the game won Mourinho rang the changes, bringing off star man Robben under-performing Kalou and full-back Paulo Ferreira.
Paul Jewell did the same bringing on Andreas Johansson, Denny Landzaat and Ryan Taylor.
Number four for the champions came from the head of top-scorer Drogba in injury-time as he dived to meet a fine right-wing cross from substitute John Obi Mikel.
Chelsea Team
Wigan Athletic Team
Chelsea | Wigan Athletic |
Corners
| 7 | 3 |
Fouls
| 15 | 18 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 2 |
Shots off target
| 7 | 1 |
Offsides
| 5 | 5 |
90mins
Drogba is flagged offside, which is lucky for the striker as he skied the ball over from 7 yards out. THREE minutes of stoppage time have been added.