Football Live

Monday April 14, 2008 Finished Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 1 - Wigan Athletic 1

Chelsea

  • Essien 55’

Wigan Athletic

  • Heskey 90’
  1. Heskey dents Chelsea's title hopes

    Heskey dents Chelsea's title hopes

    Emile Heskey's injury-time equaliser cancelled out Michael Essien's second-half opener and put a huge dent in Chelsea's title ambitions as Avram Grant's side were held to a 1-1 draw by Wigan at Stamford Bridge. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Chelsea
    • Wigan Athletic
    • 90+4' That's it! It's all over! Heskey's goal means Manchester United are now five points clear at the top of the table with just four matches remaining! This could well be the day the Premier League title returned to Old Trafford.
    • 90+3' Incredible stuff here! Just as Chelsea look to be closing out a hard-earned victory, Wigan draw level from absolutely nowhere.
    • 90+2' GOAL WIGAN! 1-1! Koumas's immaculate left-wing cross is athletically volleyed home at the back post by Heskey, and the title might just be heading to Old Trafford sooner than expected!
    • 90+1' Kirkland denies Chelsea again! Anelka gets in down the right and pulls the ball back to Essien but his left-footed effort is repelled by Kirkland!
    • 90' There will be three minutes of added time.
    • 88' Great chance for Wigan! King's flick-on drops for Sibierski just inside the Chelsea box and his low half-volley is brilliantly turned away by Cech! That could have been a massive goal.
    • 87' Kalou slips in Anelka on the left-hand side of the box and his cross-cum-shot fizzes across the face of goal.
    • 86' Kalou's inswinging cross from the left is attacked at the near post by Ballack but Scharner bravely heads it clear.
    • 85' Koumas finds Valencia on the right and he shifts the ball onto his left foot before firing in a rising shot that is headed clear by Terry. Palacios concedes a free-kick for a foul on Essien.
    • 83' Melchiot's deep free-kick is headed on by Heskey on the edge of the Chelsea box but the former Liverpool man is penalised for a push.
    • 81' Melchiot launches a high throw into the Chelsea box but Terry out-jumps Heskey and Bridge completes the clearance.
    • 79' Wigan make their final change and it's another striker. Marlon King enters the fray in place of Taylor.
    • 78' Belletti slips as he cuts out Valencia's attempted through-ball down the inside-left channel before scrambling to his feet and hacking the ball clear.
    • 77' Chance for Cole! Anelka finds him in space on the right and he flashes a right-footed effort narrowly wide of the near post from just inside the area!
    • 76' Ballack steps up... and drives the ball a good few yards over the crossbar.
    • 75' Cole skips past Kilbane down the right and cuts the ball back to Essien, who cuts the ball back to Mikel, who wins a free-kick in a central position about 25 yards from goal.
    • 74' Cole plays another free-kick into the box from wide on the right, it just clears Alex and Melchiot's inadvertent header is claimed by Kirkland.
    • 73' Belletti goes down clutching his face after a tangle with Sibierski inside the Chelsea half. Free-kick to the home side.
    • 72' Cole plays a high free-kick into the box towards Alex but it's headed clear.
    • 71' This game looks to be in the bag for Chelsea now. Wigan, for all their attacking substitutions, are unlikely to commit too many men forward.
    • 68' Koumas goes into the book for a body-check on the marauding Essien.
    • 65' Valencia's cut-back from the right is intercepted by Essien who races forward before being tackled by Palacios. The ball slides through to Anelka but he's offside.
    • 64' Steve Bruce makes another change, with Antoine Sibierski coming on for Bent. Alex is currently down receiving treatment after landing awkwardly, but he'll be OK to continue.
    • 63' Cole swings a free-kick into the Wigan box, Essien flicks it on and Alex just can't get there at the back post.
    • 61' Here come Chelsea again! Essien races onto Cole's lay-off but his touch is just too heavy and the ball runs through to Kirkland. Taylor concedes a free-kick for a clumsy challenge on Cole.
    • 59' Chelsea survive the corner and attack, and Cole hits a left-footed effort from distance straight at Kirkland.
    • 58' Bent's cross from the right is turned behind by Alex. Corner to Wigan.
    • 56' Wigan respond with an attacking substitution: Welsh playmaker Koumas comes on for Skoko.
    • 55' GOAL! 1-0 Chelsea! Anelka collects Cole's cross with his back to goal, lays it off to Essien and his measured right-footed effort from the edge of the box glances off Boyce and into the top-left corner!
    • 54' Chelsea so close! Belletti swings in a corner from the right and Terry's volley thumps against the crossbar! The ball is played back into the box and falls for Kalou 10 yards from goal but Kirkland spreads himself to make a tremendous save!
    • 53' Anelka finds space on the right of the Chelsea box and his low centre is turned behind by a sliding Boyce.
    • 52' Skoko crosses from the right, the ball hits Belletti at the back post and Cech slides out to his right to prevent the corner.
    • 51' Cole frees Belletti down the right and his low cross is hacked away by Skoko! This is more like it from the home side.
    • 50' Kalou wriggles inside from the left and tees up Ballack but his shot is blocked.
    • 49' Cole darts forward down the centre and flicks the ball through towards Anelka but Boyce intercepts.
    • 48' Mikel looks to surge down the Chelsea right before being held up by Palacios and Kilbane.
    • 47' Belletti floats in a corner from the right but it's headed clear. A much brighter start from the home side.
    • 46' The second half begins, and Grant has replaced the ineffective Malouda with Joe Cole. And Cole is straight into the action, sending in a right-footed effort from the edge of the box that is blocked by Taylor.
    • 45+1' The half-time whistle goes after a distinctly underwhelming first 45 from the home side. The boos ring out once again as the men in blue leave the field.
    • 45' There will be one minute of injury time.
    • 44' Ballack's flick-on is cleared by Scharner.
    • 43' Avram Grant does not look a happy man on the Chelsea bench. Will he change things at half-time?
    • 42' After a rather aimless spell of possession Mikel's back-pass to Cech provokes a chorus of boos from the crowd.
    • 41' Alex's attempted overhead bicycle kick clearance doesn't quite come off, but still garners a polite round of applause from the Chelsea fans.
    • 40' Suddenly Chelsea break through the middle and Essien looks to slip a pass through to the advancing Anelka but Scharner produces a brilliantly timed interception to deny the Frenchman!
    • 39' Mario Melchiot crosses from the right but it's headed clear.
    • 38' Belletti's free-kick finds Terry at the back post but he's surprised by the bounce and can't keep the ball in play.
    • 37' Palacios is penalised for a foul on Essien in midfield.
    • 35' Off the line by Skoko! Belletti's corner from the right glances off Kalou's head and beats the sprawling Kirkland but Skoko hacks it clear!
    • 34' The first few rumblings of discontent can be heard from the home fans. There's been precious little imagination to Chelsea's play so far.
    • 33' Bent is caught offside from Boyce's long pass. For all their possession, Chelsea are being kept at a safe distance for the time being.
    • 32' Essien looks to get the better of Emmerson Boyce near the goal-line on the Chelsea right but is penalised for a foul.
    • 31' Taylor curls in an inviting cross from the Wigan right that is brilliantly fielded by Cech.
    • 30' Half an hour gone here, and the visiting keeper has been tested once.
    • 29' Belletti looks for Ballack with a beautiful through-ball that splits the heart of the visitors' defence, but it's got just too much on it and runs through to Kirkland.
    • 27' What a save from Kirkland! Belletti frees Kalou down the inside-right channel and his cross is met by an instinctive header from Anelka that is looping into the net until Kirkland athletically tips it over the bar!
    • 26' Bridge crosses from the left and Scharner coolly takes the ball down on his chest before clearing upfield.
    • 25' Anelka is caught offside.
    • 23' Better from Chelsea! Belletti crosses from the right and Josip Skoko has to head the ball away with Ballack closing in. After receiving the ball from the resulting throw-in, Ballack bamboozles his marker with a Cruyff turn before dinking a weak left-footed cross into the arms of Kirkland.
    • 22' Taylor's long throw from the left just clears Scharner and is cleared at the back post by Bridge.
    • 20' First save from Cech! Valencia cracks in a well-struck shot from the right-hand corner of the box and the Chelsea keeper scrambles it around the post!
    • 19' Not much atmosphere at the Bridge tonight, it has to be said. Kilbane lofts a free-kick towards the Chelsea box from a deep position but the ball is eventually cleared by Bridge.
    • 18' Taylor's disappointing corner is cleared at the near post. The ball is played back into the box, Heskey lays the ball back to Scharner and his shot is blocked at close range by John Terry.
    • 17' Kilbane wins a corner off Essien on the Wigan left.
    • 16' Bridge can't keep the ball in play on the Chelsea left. Throw-in to the visitors. Chelsea haven't found their stride here yet.
    • 15' Bent looks to seize on a loose ball just inside the Chelsea half but Mikel slides in to tackle him.
    • 14' Malouda finds Kalou lurking on the right-hand edge of the area but he's sharply dispossessed by Kilbane. Belletti cuts in from the right flank and shoots right-footed but the shot is always rising and ends up in the stands.
    • 13' Wigan look to build an attack down the right. Luis Antonio Valencia crosses to the back post, the ball is headed clear to Ryan Taylor on the edge of the box but he's off-balance and his volley bounces off towards the corner flag.
    • 11' Anelka races after a long-ball and looks to be clean through but Chris Kirkland races from his line to clear! Alex follows up with a woefully off-target effort from about 40 yards.
    • 10' Essien is caught by Palacios in midfield and wins a free-kick. Alex sends an aimless long ball out for a Wigan goal kick. TV cameras spot Chelsea substitute Didier Drogba stealing Shaun Wright-Phillips's hat. What larks!
    • 9' Heskey is caught offside.
    • 8' Essien and Kalou look a formidable combination down the Chelsea right. Kalou looks to get past Wigan left-back Kevin Kilbane, but is penalised for a foul.
    • 7' Cech has had a few early touches of the ball, but hasn't properly been called into action yet.
    • 5' Chance for Chelsea! Kalou gets to the byline on the right, cuts inside onto his left foot and floats in a cross, and from six yards Anelka directs his header wide of the far post! That really should have been 1-0.
    • 4' The referee tonight is Andre Marriner from the West Midlands. The last time he took charge of a Chelsea game (at Derby in November) he sent off Michael Essien, so the Ghanaian will have to watch his step tonight.
    • 3' Chelsea make their first foray forward, but Salomon Kalou's cross from the right is cut out at the near post by Paul Scharner.
    • 2' Emile Heskey is caught offside from Marcus Bent's through-ball. Cech is wearing a chin-strap to go with the rugby style skull-cap he has sported since fracturing his skull in that challenge with Reading's Stephen Hunt back in 2006.
    • 1' Off we go! Chelsea are in their home strip of blue shirts, blue shorts and white socks, with the visitors in a change kit of white shirts, black shorts and black socks. The home side will attack from right to left in the first half.
    • 19:55 TEAM NEWS UPDATE: Frank Lampard has been replaced in the Chelsea line-up by Juliano Belletti, with Michael Essien moving into midfield.
    • 19:50 WIGAN TEAM NEWS: The Latics are boosted by the returns from suspension of midfield pair Michael Brown and Jason Koumas, but they must content themselves with a place on the bench as Steve Bruce keeps faith with the 11 that started the 2-0 win over Birmingham last weekend.
    • 19:40 CHELSEA TEAM NEWS: Petr Cech starts in goal for Chelsea, despite having required 50 stitches in a facial wound sustained in a training ground collision with Tal Ben Haim last week. Cech's inclusion is one of six changes made by Avram Grant, with Alex, Wayne Bridge, John Mikel Obi, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka also coming in for Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Claude Makelele, Joe Cole and Didier Drogba.
    • 19:30 Good evening and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of Chelsea v Wigan from Stamford Bridge. The Blues have to win if they are to maintain the pressure on league leaders Man United following their 2-1 win over Arsenal yesterday, and while Wigan might be five points clear of the relegation zone, they're not out of the woods yet. Kick-off is at 20:00 BST.

  • Summary

    • 90+2' GOAL WIGAN! 1-1! Koumas's immaculate left-wing cross is athletically volleyed home at the back post by Heskey, and the title might just be heading to Old Trafford sooner than expected!
    • 90+1' Kirkland denies Chelsea again! Anelka gets in down the right and pulls the ball back to Essien but his left-footed effort is repelled by Kirkland!
    • 88' Great chance for Wigan! King's flick-on drops for Sibierski just inside the Chelsea box and his low half-volley is brilliantly turned away by Cech! That could have been a massive goal.
    • 87' Kalou slips in Anelka on the left-hand side of the box and his cross-cum-shot fizzes across the face of goal.
    • 77' Chance for Cole! Anelka finds him in space on the right and he flashes a right-footed effort narrowly wide of the near post from just inside the area!
    • 61' Here come Chelsea again! Essien races onto Cole's lay-off but his touch is just too heavy and the ball runs through to Kirkland. Taylor concedes a free-kick for a clumsy challenge on Cole.
    • 55' GOAL! 1-0 Chelsea! Anelka collects Cole's cross with his back to goal, lays it off to Essien and his measured right-footed effort from the edge of the box glances off Boyce and into the top-left corner!
    • 54' Chelsea so close! Belletti swings in a corner from the right and Terry's volley thumps against the crossbar! The ball is played back into the box and falls for Kalou 10 yards from goal but Kirkland spreads himself to make a tremendous save!
    • 53' Anelka finds space on the right of the Chelsea box and his low centre is turned behind by a sliding Boyce.
    • 51' Cole frees Belletti down the right and his low cross is hacked away by Skoko! This is more like it from the home side.
    • 35' Off the line by Skoko! Belletti's corner from the right glances off Kalou's head and beats the sprawling Kirkland but Skoko hacks it clear!
    • 27' What a save from Kirkland! Belletti frees Kalou down the inside-right channel and his cross is met by an instinctive header from Anelka that is looping into the net until Kirkland athletically tips it over the bar!
    • 20' First save from Cech! Valencia cracks in a well-struck shot from the right-hand corner of the box and the Chelsea keeper scrambles it around the post!
    • 11' Anelka races after a long-ball and looks to be clean through but Chris Kirkland races from his line to clear! Alex follows up with a woefully off-target effort from about 40 yards.
    • 5' Chance for Chelsea! Kalou gets to the byline on the right, cuts inside onto his left foot and floats in a cross, and from six yards Anelka directs his header wide of the far post! That really should have been 1-0.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Chelsea

    Manager: Avram Grant

    Captain: John Terry

    On the Field

    • Cech
    • Belletti
    • Terry
    • Alex
    • Bridge
    • Mikel
    • Ballack
    • Essien Goal
    • Malouda Substitution Out (46′)
    • Kalou
    • Anelka

    Subs

    • Cole Substitution In (46′)
    • Wright-Phillips
    • Shevchenko
    • Hilario

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Wigan Athletic

    Manager: Steve Bruce

    Captain: Mario Melchiot

    On the Field

    • Kirkland
    • Melchiot
    • Boyce
    • Scharner
    • Kilbane
    • Valencia
    • Skoko Substitution Out (56′)
    • Palacios
    • Taylor Substitution Out (79′)
    • Bent Substitution Out (64′)
    • Heskey Goal

    Subs

    • Sibierski Substitution In (64′)
    • Brown
    • Koumas Substitution In (56′) Yellow Card
    • King Substitution In (79′)
    • Pollitt

    Injured

    • Edman

    Suspended

    None