Barclays Premier League

FULL-TIME REPORT

Having won just one of their last six matches in all competitions, Chelsea and Rafa Benitez were desperately in need of three points. A home fixture against Wigan was the ideal chance to gain them but they started nervously, with Roberto Martinez's men dominating possession early on. However, a slick counter-attack settled the hosts' nerves, as David Luiz and Fernando Torres combined to set up Ramires, who finished confidently. Wigan were still in the match at half-time but when Eden Hazard doubled the Blues' lead, the match looked all but over. Shaun Maloney halved the deficit soon after though and Wigan continued to pound the Chelsea defence in an attempt to gain an unlikely point. But Rafa Benitez's side did not buckle like in recent weeks and instead sealed the victory late on with goals from Frank Lampard and Marko Marin. The final result flatters Chelsea somewhat but they undoubtedly deserved the three points - Benitez won't be walking the green mile just yet.

FULL-TIME WHISTLE

Mike Dean blows the final whistle and Chelsea have a much-needed win. It's finished Chelsea 4 Wigan Athletic 1.

AL-HABSI BRILLIANT

What a fantastic double save from Ali Al-Habsi! He palms Ramires' long range drive away before tipping the ball wide when Fernando Torres latches on to the rebound. If it wasn't for him, this could be double figures.

MARIN HEADS IN

Cesar Azpilicueta advances up the pitch and shoots at goal. Ali Al-Habsi makes a good save but can only parry the ball into the path of Marko Marin whose diving header finds the back of the net. The scoreline is flattering for Chelsea but the outcome certainly can't be questioned.

GOOOAAALLL!!!

It's in! Marko Marin gets Chelsea's fourth!

DYING MOMENTS

James McCarthy lashes wide for Wigan in one last attempt to make Chelsea sweat. Meanwhile, Marko Marin replaces Eden Hazard for the hosts.

LAMPARD SEALS IT

Chelsea won't be throwing away any points today. Eden Hazard sprints away down the right wing and pulls the ball back to the edge of the area. Fernando Torres steps over the ball, leaving Frank Lampard to drive the ball into the back of the net through a crowd of bodies from 15 yards out. Rafa Benitez breathes a sigh of relief.

GOOOAAALLL!!!

That's it! Frank Lampard seals the victory!

LIVING DANGEROUSLY

Chelsea have got a nervy finish on their hands here - David Jones sees a drive blocked before Ashley Cole and Petr Cech have a mix-up at the back, with almost disastrous consequences.

KONE CHANCE

What a chance for Wigan! Arouna Kone shows great strength to see off Gary Cahill and get a shot at goal from just inside the Chelsea penalty area but the shot is straight down Petr Cech's throat. Meanwhile, Wigan decide to make a change, with David Jones coming on for Ronnie Stam.

FIGUEROA BOOKED

Wigan's Maynor Figueroa goes in late on Ramires, sending the Brazilian spinning in the air and earning him a caution. Chelsea will be grateful for the break in play which also gives them a chance to deliver a threatening ball into the Latics area. Lampard takes it but Paul Scharner heads away.

MATA ON

Chelsea are making a change in an attempt to halt this Wigan resurgence. Juan Mata is coming on to replace Oscar in the Blues midfield, in what is a like-for-like change.

WIGAN PRESSURE

Wigan are the side applying the pressure now, with a succession of corner kicks. Franco Di Santo sees a shot blocked by David Luiz before Gary Caldwell heads over the bar. Chelsea are starting to show the nervousness which has seen them drop important points recently.

HANDBALL SHOUT

There's a big handball shout for Wigan! Gary Cahill loses possession on the edge of his own box and Arouna Kone feeds Ronnie Stam. Stam attempts to bend a shot at goal but the ball seems to strike the hand of Ashley Cole inside the area. Mike Dean isn't interested though and waves play on.

OSCAR SKILLS

Oscar rides two Wigan challenges before attempting to delicately chip the ball over the visitors' defence for Fernando Torres but Gary Caldwell intervenes. Chelsea are piling the pressure on now.

LAMPARD BURST

Frank Lampard breaks on to a loose ball inside the Wigan penalty area and screws a left-footed effort across the face of goal, with the ball shaving the far post. He's been Chelsea's best player again today, by far.

SCHARNER BOOKED

Chelsea have given up so many points from winning positions so far this season and they will be wary of doing so again today. Paul Scharner becomes the first man to go into the book after tripping Oscar inside the Wigan half.

LUIZ DEFLECTION

Chelsea's David Luiz receives the ball in space, 30 yards from the Wigan goal. He's urged to shoot by the Stamford Bridge faithful and does but his effort is deflected over for a corner.

COOL MALONEY

Wigan react immediately. Shaun Maloney exposes the high Chelsea defensive line to get in behind them. Petr Cech advances but Maloney goes around him before sliding the ball into the back of the net. Game on. And Roberto Martinez certainly thinks so, as he replaces Roger Espinoza with Arouna Kone.

GOOOAAALLL!!!

And Wigan are back in it! Shaun Maloney scores!

HAZARD GOAL

Gary Cahill takes a quick free-kick to set Cesar Azpilicueta away down Chelsea's right wing. The Spanish full-back fires a low cross into the box where Eden Hazard is completely unmarked. The winger fires a low effort into the back of the net to give Chelsea a two-goal cushion.

GOOOAAALLL!!!

It's in! Eden Hazard doubles Chelsea's lead!

WIGAN IN BEHIND

For the first time in the match, Wigan get in behind Chelsea with Franco Di Santo but the Argentinean's cut-back is in front of both Shaun Maloney and Jean Beausejour who were well-placed in the middle.

SCHARNER HEADER

Wigan's Paul Scharner meets a Roger Espinoza free-kick with his head after being left completely unmarked but Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech holds onto the ball.

AL-HABSI HESITANT

Ali Al-Habsi is closed down quickly by Chelsea after receiving a back pass from Gary Caldwell. The Oman international hesitates and nearly concedes possession, but kicks the ball off the park instead.

MALONEY SLOPPY

A very sloppy cross-field pass from Shaun Maloney gives Chelsea a chance to launch a counter-attack. Eden Hazard and Frank Lampard exchange passes but Lampard's final pass is poor and is cut out by Paul Scharner.

BACK UNDERWAY

Mike Dean gets us back underway at Stamford Bridge. Neither side has decided to make any substitutions at half-time. Can Chelsea build on their lead or will Wigan reverse this scoreline in the second half?

HALF-TIME REPORT

Chelsea started this game extremely nervously which meant that Wigan were given the rare chance of being allowed to control a match at Stamford Bridge. Franco Di Santo had an early chance to make that dominance count but Petr Cech saved and Chelsea soon made the Latics pay. Ten seconds of brilliance is all it has taken for Rafa Benitez's men to lead this game at half-time as David Luiz and Fernando Torres combined to allow Ramires to finish coolly past Ali Al-Habsi. Since the goal, the Blues have dominated but haven't found the second goal which would surely kill off Roberto Martinez's slick unit. As a result, Wigan are still well in this game.

HALF-TIME WHISTLE

That's half-time at Stamford Bridge. Rafa Benitez's men have a narrow lead at half-time. The score is Chelsea 1 Wigan Athletic 0.

OSCAR SHOT

More good build-up play from Chelsea ends in Cesar Azpilicueta cutting inside on the right-hand side of the Wigan penalty box and lashing towards goal, but his shot takes a deflection and goes for a corner. From the corner, Oscar eventually has a strike but just leans back when attempting to bend a shot into the top corner of the goal.

REFEREE MIX-UP

Mike Dean steps in the way of a Chelsea attack, meaning Wigan can steal possession. Shaun Maloney gets the ball on the edge of the area and floats in an excellent cross but Cesar Azpilicueta is positioned well to head behind for a corner. Mike Dean breathes a sigh of relief.

LUIZ BALLOONS

David Luiz skips away from James McCarthy in the middle of the park before sprinting at the Wigan defence. He sees him name in lights though and shoots from 25 yards out, ballooning his effort miles too high.

LAMPARD DRILLS

Frank Lampard finds space 30 yards from the WIgan goal and lets fly again with a low, bouncing effort. It goes just wide of Ali Al-Habsi's post but the goalkeeper has it covered anyway.

FINE SAVE

What a save! Fernando Torres rises high to meet a Cesar Azpilicueta delivery but Ali Al-Habsi acrobatically tips his header over the bar. Chelsea are dominating now, in terms of possession and territory, although there is still a slow tempo to the game.

LUIZ VISION

David Luiz directs another fabulous pass in to a team mate, this time Ashley Cole, but the left-back can't get the ball under control and Wigan can clear.

CALDWELL ALERT

Chelsea needed that goal because it's taken the sting out of Wigan, who aren't knocking the ball around with same ease as they were before Ramires' goal. Fernando Torres nearly scrambles the ball over the line for the home side but Gary Caldwell hooks it clear.

RAMIRES COUNTER

Brilliant counter-attacking goal from Chelsea. David Luiz steals the ball before showing composure to pick out Fernando Torres. With his back to goal, Torres helps the ball around the corner to find the marauding run of Ramires, who steadies himself before side-footing the ball high into the back of the net. Wigan were carved open with ease.

GOOOAAALLL!!!

It's in! Ramires scores for Chelsea!

CALDWELL DOWN

Gary Caldwell has gone down for Wigan on the edge of his own penalty area. He was a doubt for the game with a hip injury and if he has to go off it will be a big blow for the Latics. He's back to his feet though and can continue for now.

TORRES WASTES

That's a fantastic chance for Chelsea. Branislav Ivanovic carves open the Wigan defence to find Fernando Torres unmarked inside the away side's area. Torres gets the ball onto his right foot and then his left, before shooting straight at Ali Al-Habsi. That was poor defending from Roberto Martinez's men.

AL-HABSI LET-OFF

Ronnie Stam nudges Oscar over to give Chelsea an opportunity to put the ball into the Wigan area. Frank Lampard sends in an inswinging free-kick which finds Fernando Torres. The Spaniard glances the ball on and wrong-foots Ali Al-Habsi but the header goes just wide of the goalkeeper's left post.

BEAUSEJOUR BRIGHT

Jean Beausejour gets free again down the left flank and gets to the byline before pulling the ball back into a dangerous area. Roger Espinoza is coming in to meet it and stretches but can't quite get it under control, allowing Ashley Cole to clear.

LAMPARD DRIVE, HAZARD BLOCK

Frank Lampard is the in-form man on the Stamford Bridge pitch today and he attempts a trademark long-range piledriver but it veers a long way over Ali Al-Habsi's bar. Moments later, Eden Hazard has a great chance inside the box but Maynor Figueroa gets a last-ditch block in.

WIGAN CHANCES

Wigan have the first big chance of the game when Franco Di Santo is allowed to turn inside the Chelsea area. he lashes a shot across goal and Petr Cech saves the ball with his legs, giving the Latics a corner kick. Chelsea deal with Shaun Maloney's delivery but moments later the Scottish international gets a chance to bend an effort from just outside the penalty box. Cech makes another excellent sprawling save.

NERVY START

Chelsea have been sloppy early on with both Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole giving the ball away cheaply in dangerous areas of the pitch. It's a show of the nerves from the home side in a very quiet Stamford Bridge.

WIGAN POSITIVE

It's a positive start from Wigan as Jean Beausejour's low cross into the Chelsea penalty area almost finds Franco Di Santo but Petr Cech dives on the ball. Wigan are obviously huge underdogs for this game but they have won on their last visits to Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal and can't be taken lightly by Rafa Benitez's team.

WE'RE OFF

Referee Mike Dean blows his whistle to begin this Premier League match-up, the result of which will have consequences at both ends of the table. Chelsea wear their familiar blue colours while Wigan sport their black change strip.

MATA BENCHED, CALDWELL STARTS

Ashley Cole and Petr Cech win their fitness battles to start the game for Chelsea but manager Rafa Benitez drops Juan Mata to the bench in favour of playing Frank Lampard in a more advanced role. Demba Ba is also left on the Blues bench, despite being cup-tied for the club's Europa League tie against Sparta Prague in midweek. For Wigan, Arouna Kone only makes the bench but Gary Caldwell is fit to lead the Latics. Neither Antolin Alcaraz and Emmerson Boyce are included in the matchday eighteen and so they must wait for their Wigan comebacks.

CONFIRMED WIGAN STARTING XI

Ali Al-Habsi; Gary Caldwell, Paul Scharner, Maynor Figueroa; Ronnie Stam, James McCarthy, James McArthur, Roger Espinoza, Jean Beausejour; Shaun Maloney, Franco Di Santo. Bench: Joel Robles, Arouna Kone, David Jones, Angelo Henriquez, Jordi Gomez, Callum McManaman, Roman Golobart.

CONFIRMED CHELSEA STARTING XI

Petr Cech; Cesar Azpilicueta, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole; David Luiz, Ramires; Oscar, Frank Lampard, Eden Hazard; Fernando Torres. Bench: Ross Turnbull, Paulo Ferreira, Ryan Bertrand, Yossi Benayoun, Marko Marin, Juan Mata, Demba Ba.

REF WATCH

Mike Dean will take charge of this afternoon's match. It will be the 16th Premier League game that the Wirral-born official has refereed this season and he has handed out just one red card, to Arsenal's Jack Wilshere against Manchester United back in November. Dean is yet to referee a league fixture including either Wigan Athletic or Chelsea this season.

LAST TIME OUT

These two sides last met at Stamford Bridge in April last year when Chelsea edged a 2-1 victory. Branislav Ivanovic gave Roberto Di Matteo's men the advantage before Mohamed Diame found the net to level the scores. However Juan Mata's strike deep into injury time ensured Chelsea left with all three points. In the reverse fixture at the DW Stadium back in August, the Blues found things far more comfortable. Branislav Ivanovic and Frank Lampard scored in the first seven minutes of the game, setting the groundwork for an opening day win.

WIGAN TEAM NEWS

Striker Arouna Kone is back in the country after Ivory Coast were defeated at the Africa Cup of Nations, but Wigan staff will assess his fitness levels before deciding to start the 29-year-old. Defender Antolin Alcaraz could finally return after recovering from a groin injury, as could Emmerson Boyce who has shaken off a hamstring knock. Those returns could come at the perfect time as captain Gary Caldwell is struggling with a hip problem. Ben Watson, Ryo Miyaichi, Albert Crusat, Fraser Fyvie, Ivan Ramis and Mike Pollitt all remain longer-term absentees.

CHELSEA TEAM NEWS

Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez will be boosted by the return of Eden Hazard who has served his three-match ban for kicking a ball boy. However captain John Terry will miss out with a knee injury. Striker Demba Ba broke his nose against Newcastle United last weekend but could play in a face mask if Benitez selects him over fellow frontman Fernando Torres. Petr Cech is still nursing a broken finger and could be considered too high a risk to start meaning Ross Turnbull takes his place between the Blues' posts. Elsewhere, Ashley Cole was forced off with hamstring trouble on his 100th England appearance in midweek and Ryan Bertrand may line up at left-back instead against the Latics.

MATCH PREVIEW

With Rafa Benitez under increasing pressure at Stamford Bridge, the fixture against Wigan can't come soon enough for the Chelsea boss. The Blues have an excellent record against the Latics, outscoring them 20-2 in the last six fixtures between the sides. But Chelsea are in woeful form, winning just one of their last six matches in all competitions - a run which has seen fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur close the gap on the west London club to just one point. Roberto Martinez's Wigan are still sitting in the Premier League relegation zone but they are unbeaten in five away matches in all competitions, have come from behind to draw three of their last four games and have scored in seven consecutive games. Those are all statistics which will ensure Benitez is apprehensive ahead of a vital match for his, and Chelsea's, future.