Defending champions Chelsea notched another six goals to beat Wigan and fire a warning to their title rivals.
Chelsea notch another six goals in rout of sorry Latics
Defending champions Chelsea notched another six goals to beat Wigan and fire a warning to their title rivals.
The Blues slipped up at the DW Stadium last season but - fresh from their 6-0 opening day thrashing of West Brom - Carlo Ancelotti's side made no mistake this time and condemned the sorry Latics to their second successive heavy home reverse following their 4-0 loss to Blackpool.
Florent Malouda opened the scoring in the 34th minute after Chris Kirkland parried Frank Lampard's shot, with the Frenchman slotting home from close range.
Compatriot Nikolas Anelka then got a quick-fire brace (48, 52) soon after the restart to make sure of the points, before Salomon Kalou notched his own brace inside the last 12 minutes and substitute Yossi Benayoun completed the rout with his first goal for the Blues.
The victory sees Chelsea open up a two-point gap in the early table, while Roberto Martinez's side slumped to the foot of the top-flight on goal difference after their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign.
The Blues have now scored a phenomenal 29 goals in just five league games, 14 of those against Wigan as they thumped eight past them on the final day of last season.
As for Martinez's hapless side, they have conceded 25 goals in six league matches and 10 already this campaign.
The 4-0 home humiliation to Blackpool last weekend had prompted bookmakers into offering staggering odds of 15-1 on a home win, arguably forgetting the Latics had ended Chelsea's six-match winning start to last season with a 3-1 victory.
Certainly for the opening half hour Wigan's performance, in contrast to a week ago, was as different as night and day.
Energy
There was energy, effort and endeavour, and most crucially a lack of errors that was the main reason behind their embarrassing downfall against the Seasiders.
Striker Hugo Rodallega epitomised the difference as he was willing to chase balls out to the left wing, and when required he also tracked back to play his part in defence.
Rodallega also put Petr Cech under pressure, although in fairness a 35-yard free-kick and 22-yard drive were meat and drink for a man of the Chelsea goalkeeper's calibre.
But for that initial 30 minutes Chelsea were kept quiet by Wigan's industry, with their only notable effort not really one to write home about as John Obi Mikel skied a 25-yard effort high over the crossbar.
However, the Blues are not champions for nothing and in the 34th minute they underlined why, stepping up a gear for the goal that broke the deadlock.
It was simple, incisive stuff as Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole combined down the left to tee up Lampard for a close-range prod that was brilliantly tipped away by captain Kirkland.
But from the rebound, Malouda's reaction was too quick for Maynor Figueroa as he ran to tap home from a yard out.
Wigan's high work rate kept them in the game until the half-time break during which Martinez would undoubtedly have urged his side to keep it tight after the restart, whilst at least try and press for the equaliser.
But within the space of just over six minutes, such words will have counted for nothing as Wigan found themselves 3-0 down, and with the game over as a contest.
Clinical strike
Two minutes and 29 seconds into the second half Chelsea had doubled their lead courtesy of a crisp, clinical strike from Anelka.
Collecting a raking ball from Mikel down the right, Anelka's cause was aided by Figueroa, Antolin Alcaraz and Kirkland pausing for a brief moment as the Frenchman strode into the area.
The trio gave Anelka just enough time to steady himself before he unleashed a low right-foot shot beyond Kirkland inside his right-hand post.
Fewer than four minutes later, Chelsea were heading back to London with all three points as Anelka scored his second.
After chasing a long ball down the left, Malouda chipped in a cross to the far post where Drogba turned the ball back across goal for Anelka to nod home from three yards.
To their credit, Wigan refused to roll over, arguably playing some of their best football of the game, albeit all in vain.
Yet Rodallega and the returning Charles N'Zogbia, absent last week after Martinez had questioned his attitude, were denied by brave blocks by Chelsea captain John Terry and Alex respectively.
James McCarthy then saw a deflected effort hit the right-hand post, with Mauro Boselli flagged offside after tapping home the rebound.
Chelsea, though, were not done and after being on the pitch eight minutes after replacing Malouda, Kalou made it four in the 78th minute.
After Mohamed Diame was taken off on a stretcher, Chelsea then rubbed further salt into Wigan's wounds with Kalou making it 5-0 in the 90th minute and another sub in Benayoun adding the sixth in stoppage-time as the Blues' free-scoring antics made it their best-ever start to a top-flight campaign.
| Wigan Athletic |
Team Statistics |
Chelsea |
| 0 |
Goals |
6 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 5 |
Shots on Target |
8 |
| 4 |
Shots off Target |
2 |
| 6 |
Blocked Shots |
1 |
| 0 |
Corners |
0 |
| 12 |
Fouls |
10 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
5 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 82.2 |
Passing Success |
80.7 |
| 22 |
Tackles |
35 |
| 59.1 |
Tackles Success |
65.7 |
| 51.6 |
Possession |
48.4 |
| 54.4 |
Territorial Advantage |
45.6 |
|
