Chelsea entertain Wigan Athletic in the Premiership this Saturday, it is another must-win game if Manchester United are to be overhauled at the summit of the table.
But can Chelsea win at the moment? C R I S I S – the word is being bandied about with gay abandon in the press, as our friends in the media suggest that all is not well off the pitch at Chelsea FC. Apparently there are clashes of egos between the suits, with Roman, José, Peter and Frank (depending on who you read) not getting on well.
The net result, however, has been that José’s preferred solution to Chelsea’s recent poor run of form (culminating in a 1-1 draw at Wycombe on Wednesday night) will not be forthcoming. An injury epidemic has left Chelsea’s defence threadbare, but apparently he José has been told that he can’t buy or sell anyone in the Winter transfer window. That’s why José has got the hump, and (again, if we are to believe what we read), Roman and his people are looking for a new coach.
This is background for what should be a fairly run-of-the-mill League game. But, lest we forget, Chelsea have only one win out of 5 matches since Christmas, with the needle stuck in the groove when it comes to draws. If Chelsea are to go anywhere, they should pick up a win tomorrow. If they don’t, then it really is time to read the writing on the wall.
And what of the opposition? Praised for their debut season in the Premiership last season, if one of the two clubs are really in crisis, it must be Wigan, who are in freefall and on their worst run under Paul Jewell.
Since winning at West Ham on 6 December, the Latics have drawn at Middlesbrough, lost five Premiership games on the spin and the FA Cup trip to Portsmouth. They go into this game immediately above the danger zone, but with a four point cushion between themselves and the bottom three. What better moment to meet the team that are, still, the Premiership Champions???
Vital Quotes:
At time of writing, nobody has made any press conferences, but we can report José’s words from after the Wycombe match. ‘I know Robben is fit to train with the squad tomorrow but John is not. In football you have to live by that – day-by-day. Tomorrow he is not in my collective session so he is out of the Wigan game.’
‘The only thing I know is that for Saturday, for sure no. After that we will see. But we try to do our best. Carvalho is back so at least we have one central defender and Drogba is back so we have one striker.’
Chelsea FC Team News:
The Wycombe game was the nadir for Chelsea in terms of injuries and suspensions, and there is some relief for this match against Wigan, but only slightly. On the one hand, Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho are eligible after their suspension, and Arjen Robben is the first to return from injury. On the other, John Terry was due to make this match but he has suffered a setback, and Ashley Cole is suspended. No change to the status of Petr Cech, Carlo Cudicini, Khalid Boulahrouz and Joe Cole.
That puts Hilario in goal, and a backline of Wayne Bridge, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Geremi; Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack in midfield, and the attack of Didier Drogba plus Arjen Robben.
Player to watch: Didier Drogba
Drogba was suspended for the Wycombe match. Had he been available, would he have made the difference? He returns for Wigan, and frankly we can’t wish for anybody else up front- the Premier League’s top scorer and 20 goals to his name already. His capacity to bang them away might just make the difference…
Wigan Athletic Team News:
For Wigan, Andreas Granqvist and Kristofer Haestad could both make their Premiership debuts for Wigan after playing in the FA Cup defeat to Portsmouth.
Mike Pollitt started in goal against Pompey but has since joined Burnley on a month’s loan, so Chris Kirkland will return between the posts.
Gary Teale has also left Wigan during the last seven days, signing for Derby County for £600,000.
Player to watch: Emile Heskey
It sounds humiliating to have to nominate Emile Heskey. But the player usually likened to an ungulate played a blinder last month at the JJB and scored a brace. He was also offside for one of those goals and should have been sent off for elbowing a few players. But Chelsea’s defence had serious difficulties containing him. We can only hope that this time things are different.
Match Facts & Stats
Wigan are yet to take a point from Chelsea. Indeed, the brace scored last month were the first we’ve conceded to Wigan. In truth, Chelsea had a difficult match and Arjen Robben was the difference between 1 points and 3. Since then Robben has been out, and Chelsea have not won a League match. Is Robben’s return a good omen?
After recently going on a run of scoring late winners perhaps Chelsea supporters can take heart from the fact that if the score is level going into the final minutes there is every chance of Chelsea netting a winner. Paul Jewell’s side have conceded four times in injury time in the Premiership this season and hold the record with Charlton.
Interestingly, the only time Wigan have not lost at Stamford Bridge was in 1995 when they drew 2-2 in the FA Cup. One of their scorers that day was the current manager, Paul Jewell.
Ref Watch:
Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire). He took charge of our Community Shield defeat by Liverpool (boo) and the away win at Sheffield United (hooray!)
He has refereed Wigan once the season, a defeat at Newcastle. Most recently he was the man in the middle for the midweek goal-laden cup tie between Liverpool and Arsenal. Mark is certainly not one of the Premiership’s most card-happy refs.
Match Prediction:
Neither side are in a good place. But, as much as we might whinge, we can’t deny that Chelsea (still second) are in a much better position than Wigan, who have 5 straight defeats to their name.
We can’t trumpet Chelsea’s home form as being a guarantee, having drawn successive League fixtures to Reading (!) and Fulham (!!), and our defence is nothing like the rock that it used to be. However, we have to contast that with the fact that Wigan have scored only 6 and conceded 16 in their past 8 games. Only Charlton and West Ham have a worse recent goal difference.
However, Wigan are bad at home. On the road they are the 6th best Premiership side, even if they have a negative goal difference (scored 11, conceded 14). We should not take this as being a pushover, particularly in Chelsea’s current fragile state. However, it should be a win. 2-1?
Liverpool
Next up is Chelsea’s League game at Anfield. Always a difficult fixture (except for last season, when Chelsea won 1-4).
We have to laugh at a comment on The Guardian’s ‘Fiver’. ‘I think I speak for Liverpool fans everywhere when I say ‘Thanks Wycombe”, says Patrick Carr, who probably lives in the Home Counties.
‘I think I speak for Chelsea fans everywhere when I find myself saying ‘Thanks Arsenal” – Cendrowski.