WIGAN 0-1 CHELSEA

By: Shaun | August 24th, 2008

After last weeks narrow, unlucky loss at Wet Sham, Chelsea were the visitors to the JJB Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The game started with the news that Mike Pollit replaced Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal due to the latter sustaining an injury in the warmup. Bramble also came in at the heart of the defence.
After 3 minutes, Lee Cattermole, making his home debut, was accused of handball just outside the Wigan box and Deco stepped up to take the free kick. And what a kick it was. Straight into the corner of Pollit’s goal. The keepers positioning was a bit dodgy if i’m being harsh. The bad start glavanied the Latics and we pressurised the Chelsea defence with some superb one-touch football. Zaki and Palacious went close with Cech being tested. Chelsea struggled to create chances all game and should consider themselves very lucky to have escaped with a win. Maybe a penalty could have been given, when Cech pushed Boyce over during a corner but in a poor second half, where few chances were created, it was Petr to the rescue for the Blues when he diverted a Kapo drive round the post in the dying minutes.
Full time at the JJB Stadium, its finished Wigan 0-1 Chelsea.

PLAYER RATINGS
Pollitt. 7 had little to do but could have been at fault for goal.
Boyce. 8 A rock the centre of the defence.
Bramble 9 Superb, my man of the match- won everything in air and kept Le Sulk at bay.
Figeroioa 7 Sometimes disappeared.
Koumas. 7 Injured before the break but he had done well.
Cattermole. 6 I thought his distribution was ok but he ran around like a headless chicken. A poor man’s Brown
Palacious. 8 Committed.
Heskey. 7 Won the headers and looked more mobile than usual.
Zaki. 8 Ran around a lot and made good runs. Promising…
Melchiot. 8 Linked up well with Valencia.
Valencia 7. Sometimes disappeared during the game.

SUBS
De Ridder 3. Clumsy, couldn’t cross for his life and slow. Slipped about 100 times as well.
Kapo/ Camera didn’t have enough time to show what they could do.

GAME RATING: 5/10.