Chelsea Nick it at The JJB
Champions
By BlueBlood
August 14 2005
They call Football 'The Beautiful Game.' They say that Football 'is a funny old game.' It is said that Football 'is the cruellest game of all.'
Any Wigan Athletic fan who was in the JJB Stadium this afternoon will no doubt agree that Football is the cruellest game of all after witnessing Hernan Crespo's last minute strike to give the Champions an undeserved 1-0 victory. Victories that are borne, even from a first game of the season, like Chelsea's today show the mark of a championship team and although Chelsea were not at their best today, they showed why they are the defending champions and looking to become the third team only to win back to back titles. Wigan were dealt the cruellest blow. On a break from a Frank Lampard free-kick, Wigan had three on one and Johnasson (a second half substitute) blazed high over the bar. From the resulting goal kick, Del Horno pumped a long ball straight onto the head of Drogba who headed it straight up, which gave him a second of time to place his second header to Hernan Crespo on the left had side of the Wigan penalty. Crespo controlled the ball then cut inside and whipped in a twenty five yard curler with his left foot high into Mike Pollit's net. Game done 1-0 to the Champions. Nine minutes earlier, ex Norwich midfielder Damian Francis, hit the bar with a header from a Teale cross. But all game Wigan harried, parried did everything to knock Chelsea out of their stride and lesser's teams visiting the JJB, will be beaten. No doubt about that. Chelsea were lucky to win, Wigan were very unlucky to lose. To be fair even if Chelsea had got a point it would have been undeserved, instead they got three in the cruellest of finishes. Take nothing away from Hernan Crespo. Sixteen goals for Milan last season in Serie A. Two goals in the Champions League and two goals in the recent World Cup qualifier against Brazil, its so good that Crespo decided to come back to Chelsea and give it another go. In the first ten minutes Wigan could have been a couple of goals up. First through record signing Henri Camara making Cech save to his right. Jason Roberts following up scuffed the chance. Again Camara whistled one shot down by Cech's right hand post. It took until the 41st minute before Chelsea had their first attempt on goal. Duff cut inside from the right, before hitting a left foot shot which Pollit did well to save. Whatever happens to Wigan during the 2005/06, they are going to win many many friends. Teams: Wigan Athletic: Pollit, Chimbonda, Henchoz, De Zeeuw, Baines, Teale, Bullard, Francis, Mahon, Camara (Johansson 85mins), Roberts. Chelsea Cech, Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Del Horno, Makelele, Lampard, Gudjohnsen (Wright-Phillips 45), Duff (Crespo 59), Drogba, Robben (J Cole 45) Ref: Mark Clattenburg
Prior to that Robben, Duff, Gudjohnsen and Drogba all had efforts which just went over the bar.