Jordi
Gomez snatched a dramatic point for Wigan in their meeting with Chelsea, with
his late strike salvaging a 1-1 draw.
The title-chasing Blues had appeared to be on course for a fourth straight win
when Daniel Sturridge fired them in front shortly before the hour mark, but a
rare mistake from Petr Cech cost them dear.
The hosts started brightly, with the in-form Victor Moses looking lively from
the off.
The Latics had vowed to get at the Blues on home soil, and they were as good as
their word as the visitors survived two first-half penalty shouts - one against
Ashley Cole and another against Branislav Ivanovic.
Moses also came within inches of connecting with a low cross in the dying
seconds of the half, with Roberto Martinez's side causing plenty of problems.
Chelsea had opportunities of their own, though, with John Terry flashing one
25-yard effort narrowly wide of the target and Didier Drogba glancing a diving
header past the upright.
Andre Villas-Boas' side eventually broke the deadlock in the 59th minute.
Cole played a looping ball over the top to Sturridge, and he took one touch to
steady himself before drilling low across Ali Al Habsi.
Maynor Figueroa came close to levelling matters for Wigan, but his low drive was
kept out by the fingertips of Cech, while a melee in the Chelsea area resulted
in a Franco Di Santo effort being headed clear from in front of an unguarded
net.
The Latics' determination to take something from the game paid off two minutes
from time when Cech spilled a poked effort from Hugo Rodallega and Gomez was on
hand to bundle home from close range.
Encouraging
Frank Lampard returned to the Chelsea starting line-up for the first time in
three games in place of Ramires, who missed out with a bruised leg, while Wigan
boss Martinez kept faith with the side that beat West Brom last weekend.
Last season Chelsea put six past their hosts at the DW Stadium but the Latics
have shown encouraging form in recent weeks and they had the better of the game
in the early stages.
Moses again stood out with his pace and trickery, and he played a part in a move
that ended with Gomez tumbling in the penalty area, although contact from Cole
seemed minimal and referee Martin Atkinson waved away the muted penalty claims.
At the other end, Gary Caldwell did well to block a dangerous cross from
Sturridge while Terry had Al Habsi diving with a well-struck shot from 25 yards
that flew a yard past the post.
Chelsea had settled and were pushing for the breakthrough, which they nearly
achieved in the 23rd minute when a cross was only cleared as far as Oriol Romeu,
who let fly with a volley that was pushed round the post by Al Habsi.
Drogba was a fraction away from the opener seven minutes before the break when
he got his head to a lovely Raul Meireles cross but, under pressure from Ronnie
Stam, he could not keep his effort on target.
Wigan then felt they should have had a penalty when Ivanovic pulled his left arm
across his body and into a shot from Moses, but again Atkinson was unmoved.
The Latics ended the half on the offensive as Moses just failed to get a toe to
David Jones' dangerous low cross.
Salomon Kalou came on for Romeu at the start of the second half and took up
position on the left, allowing Juan Mata to move into a central role behind
Drogba.
Gomez tried his luck with a volley that was always just the wrong side of the
post, while Kalou made his presence felt straight away with a jinking run and
shot that was blocked by Stam.
Open
The game was a bit more open now and Kalou set up Drogba for a shot into the
side netting before the deadlock was broken in the 59th minute with a simple
goal superbly executed by Chelsea.
Cole was allowed to run into the Wigan half and pick out Sturridge with a
pinpoint diagonal ball.
The striker took the ball down with one touch on the right of the area before
lashing it past Al Habsi for his ninth goal of the season.
Wigan now had to commit more men forward and Figueroa's low shot from the edge
of the box was heading into the far corner before Cech got a hand to it.
Martinez made a double substitution with 19 minutes remaining, sending on
strikers Rodallega and Di Santo for Jones and Conor Sammon.
There was a worrying moment for Chelsea when Terry landed awkwardly after a
challenge on Di Santo but the skipper was able to continue after treatment.
Some poor defending from Ivanovic then presented Wigan with a golden chance as
his weak backpass let in Rodallega.
Cech was out sharply to block but the keeper was stranded as Di Santo shot only
for Ivanovic to make amends with a header off the line.
Time was ticking away but Wigan did not give up and they got their reward in the
88th minute when Cech failed to hold a poke towards goal from Rodallega and
Gomez turned the ball into an empty net.
Teams
Wigan
Athletic
Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Stram, McCarthy, Diame,
Jones (Rodallega 72), Gomez, Sammon (Di Santo 73), Moses
Subs Not Used
Pollitt, Watson, Gohouri, Crusat,
McArthur
Booked
Goals
Gomez 88
Chelsea
Cech,
Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Lampard, Romeu (Kalou 46), Meireles,
Sturridge (Malouda 80), Drogba, Mata (Mikel 66)
Subs Not Used
Turnbull, Ferreira, McEachran, Torres
Booked
Goals
Sturridge 59
Attendance
18,320
Referee
M. Atkinson
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