• Date: Sat 03 November 2007
  • Venue: The JJB Stadium
  • Ref: Bennett, S
  • Attendance: 19,011
0 - 2
Chelsea

Chelsea

Lampard (11)

Belletti (18)

Wigan Athletic vs Chelsea

Team Lineups

Wigan Athletic

Chris Kirkland
Paul Scharner
Andreas Granqvist
Titus Bramble
Mario Melchiot
Kevin Kilbane
Denny Landzaat (Antoine Sibierski, 82)
Luis Antonio Valencia
Jason Koumas
Michael Brown (Josip Skoko, 85)
Marcus Bent

Chelsea

Petr Cech
Ricardo Carvalho
Wayne Bridge
Juliano Belletti
Rodrigo da Costa Alex
Florent Malouda
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Frank Lampard
John Obi Mikel
Michael Essien (Steve Sidwell, 76)
Didier Drogba (Salomon Kalou, 75)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

FULL TIME: WIGAN 0 - 2 CHELSEA: Chelsea move to withing 3 points of Arsenal and Manchester United at the top of the table with their seventh consecutive win. Wigan on the other hand are in deep trouble, crumbling to their fifth successive defeat.

90

Chelsea park themselves in the Wigan half. Steve Sidwell hits a long range shot but it is blocked by Bramble.

88

A deep Wigan cross finds Sibierski who beats Alex and Belletti to the ball, but his header sails over the crossbar.

87
Yellow Card
 

Bramble is booked for a rash challenge on Sidwell.

86

Bent nods the ball down to Sibierski who is in a great position, but is pulled back for offside.

85
Substitution
 

Michael Brown leaves the field to a mixed reception. Josip Skoko takes his place.

83

Chelsea do not seem to be looking for another goal any more, and are simply looking to run the clock down by playing slow tempo possession football.

81
Substitution
 

Antoine Sibierski makes a return following an injury, and replaces Denny Landzaat

80

Michael Brown hits a hopeful shot and sends it into the stand behind Cech's goal.

78

Alex's headed clearance is only as far as Paul Scharner, and his volley whistles past the post to the relief of Cech.

76
Substitution
 

Michael Essien leaves the field, making way for Steve Sidwell

75
Substitution
 

Salomon Kalou replaces Didier Drogba

72

Avram Grant looks surprised at this second half performance and looks set to make some substitutions.

70

The ball bounces loose in the Chelsea box but Carvalho boots the ball clear

68

The home crowd urge their side forward and they win a corner, but the delivery is too close to Cech who gathers the ball with ease.

67

Wigan go in search of a goal again but Landzaat is caught in possession after working his way into a decent position.

65
Yellow Card
 

Didier Drogba receives the first booking of the game after pulling Michael Brown's shirt.

63

Chelsea put together a superb flowing counter attack involving Wright-Phillips, Essien and Lampard, but Lampard's final shot sails over the crossbar. If that move had come off, it would have been one of the goals of the season.

61

Essien hits a long-range shot on the volley but it does not trouble Kirkland as it dips over the crossbar.

60

It is still not too late for a Wigan comeback, but Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in their last four Premiership games and are defending stubbornly today.

58

Chris Hutchings will be delighted with his side's response after the interval. They have not had any clear cut chances but are dominating at the moment.

57
Yellow Card
 

Denny Landzaat is booked for arguing with Steve Bennett.

56

Michael Brown hits a shot from 18-yards but it is blocked by Alex.

54

Belletti hits an ambitious effort from way out but misses the target, and then goes down rather theatrically following a challenge from Koumas.

52

Wright-Phillips clips a cross into the danger area but it is too close to Kirkland who collects the ball.

50

Bent breaks into the Chelsea box and Carvalho clumsily goes into the back of him but wins the ball, and the two go to ground. Bennett waves away the penalty appeals.

49

Koumas runs at the Chelsea defence, but runs into danger and Alex clears the danger.

48

The rest of the pressure from Wigan comes to nothing, but nevertheless a positive start to the second half.

47

Sloppy play from Chelsea gives the home side momentum and Landzaat gets a shot away inside the box but Carvalho puts in a goal-saving block.

46

The ball drops on the edge of the Chelsea box but Koumas cannot direct his shot goal-wards.

Second half
 

The sides return to the field for the second half, with no changes being made to either side.

Half time
 

HALF TIME: WIGAN 0 - 2 CHELSEA: Though they have had decent spells of possession, the early goals killed Wigan and the visitors are very much in control.

44

Chelsea dubiously win a corner and it is taken by Lampard, but his good delivery is wasted as Bennett blows for a Wigan free-kick.

42

Melchiot gets a shot away on the edge of the area but skews it wide of Petr Cech's goal.

40

Chelsea win a free-kick in a dangerous position. After a lengthy discussion, Drogba curls a shot at goal and it grazes the crossbar.

38

Luis Antonio Valencia gets into a decent position on the left flank but is easily dispossessed before he gets his cross away.

35

Florent Malouda latches onto a Belletti cross and is in a good position, but makes a mess of his shot and sends it wide of the mark

33

Drogba hooks a cross into the danger area but Chris Kirkland is quick off his line to pluck the ball out of the air.

32

Drogba dispossesses a Wigan defender and hits a long range shot which is blocked by Titus Bramble.

30

Wright-Phillips runs at the Wigan defence before letting fly from 20-yards but sends his shot over the bar.

28

Wigan enjoy a decent spell of possession, but each move breaks down when they approach the edge of the Chelsea penalty area.

25

The game already seems to be over. The visitors look high in confidence and are passing the ball around with ease.

22

Wright-Phillips slots a neat through ball into the path of Didier Drogba, who has strayed offside.

20

Chris Hutchings must be hoping he is not going to see his side suffer a defeat as heavy as the Chelsea V Man City game last week.

19

The home crowd are very subdued, while the travelling supporters are jubilant in the away stand.

17
Goal
 

WIGAN 0 - 2 CHELSEA: JULIANO BELLETTI runs uncontested from the halfway line before curling a shot into the top corner from just inside the penalty area.

15

Chris Hutchings only has one man up-front and he has a decision to make now as to whether he moves another player up there with him.

13

Avram Grant's strong start at the Chelsea helm looks set to continue as Chelsea are well on top at the moment.

11
Goal
 

WIGAN 0 - 1 CHELSEA: Wright-Phillips puts a low cross into the box and FRANK LAMPARD tucks it away neatly to notch his forth goal of the week.

9

Denny Landzaat tries his luck from 30-yards, but Cech moves to his left and plucks the ball out of the air.

8

The Wigan players are still complaining at Bennett as Chelsea break away, but Shaun Wright-Phillips slips and slices his cross behind for a goal-kick.

7

A cross is put into the area and Bent goes down under a strong challenge from Belletti. The home crowd and players are furious as Steve Bennett waves away the protests.

5

Belletti bursts into the Wigan penalty area but his shot is blocked.

4

Wgigan line-up with five in midfield as they desperately try to stop Chelsea playing.

2

A massive contrast in confidence levels for today's game, with Chelsea winning their last six consecutive games in all competitions and Wigan losing their previous five

1

Marcus Bent picks up the ball on the left flank and plays it inside for Jason Koumas, whose shot is blocked by Juliano Belletti

Kickoff
 

Referee Steve Bennett gets the game underway with Chelsea kicking-off.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Cech, Belletti, Alex, Carvalho, Bridge, Obi, Essien, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Drogba, Malouda. SUBS: Cudicini, Shevchenko, Sidwell, Kalou, Ben-Haim

Awaiting Kickoff
 

WIGAN STARTING XI: Kirkland, Melchiot, Granqvist, Bramble, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Scharner, Landzaat, Koumas, Bent. SUBS: Pollitt, Sibierski, Aghahowa, Boyce, Skoko

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Paulo Ferreira has been ruled out for six weeks with an ankle injury, paving way for Wayne Bridge who starts at left-back. Andriy Shevchenko begins the game on the bench, with Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda starting up-front.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Emile Heskey misses out on today's game for Wigan, while Mario Melchiot returns to face his former side. Denny Landzaat, Antonio Valencia, Marcus Bent and Michael Brown all pass fit and make the starting eleven.