Premier League: Chelsea v Wigan match preview
A look ahead to this weekend’s Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea will look to return to winning ways when Wigan visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with the London club searching for a win to consolidate their top four position. Having not won in their last four games, Rafael Benitez will look for his side to claim all three points against a Wigan side sitting in the relegation zone.
The Latics have not won a league game since they beat Aston Villa at the end of December, a run which has seen them drop to 18th position, two points from safety. Desperate for points, they come up against a side who need a win just as much if they are to fulfil their season ambitions, with Chelsea lying third - 16 points off the top, and just a point ahead of Tottenham.
Belgian Eden Hazard will return from suspension, having served his three-game suspension for his infamous altercation with a ball-boy in Chelsea’s League Cup semi-final clash at Swansea. Hazard will boost an attack that may feature Demba Ba, who flew to Milan this week to have a specialist mask fitted on a broken nose. Wigan will hope to have their own African striker Arouna Kone available, who returns from the African Cup of Nations following Ivory Coast’s early exit.
KICK-OFF: Saturday, 3pm.
PAST MEETINGS...
Wigan 0 Chelsea 2 (Ivanovic, Lampard), Premier League, August 2012.
Chelsea 2 (Ivanovic, Mata) Wigan 1 (Diame), Premier League, April 2012.
Wigan 1 (Gomez) Chelsea 1 (Sturridge), Premier League, December 2012.
STATS...
Chelsea have never failed to score against Wigan in the league, with Wigan taking just 5 out of a possible 45 points against Chelsea.
Chelsea’s biggest league win came against Wigan in May 2010 (along with v Aston Villa in December 2012).
Wigan had won just 1 of their last 12 league matches.
Wigan have more league wins playing away this season (3) than they do at home (2).
Wigan have 5 more points than they did at this point last season (16).
ODDS...
Chelsea to win: 1.37
Wigan to win: 10
Draw: 5.6
TV: Highlights on BBC1 at 10.20pm.
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