Premier League preview: Chelsea v Wigan
Blue or red? The nation is about to witness the outcome, but unlike the election, the Premier League title race will have a conclusive result at the weekend, with the swingometer pointing firmly in Chelsea’s direction.
Win at home to Wigan, and it’s theirs. Simple as that. Carlo Ancelotti will be the first Chelsea manager to finally step out of that giant José Mourinho-sized shadow that hovers over Stamford Bridge.
The Italian is just 90 minutes away from a title in his first season in charge – a feat last achieved by a certain Mr Mourinho – and while Manchester United may still be only a point behind them in second place, few outside of Manchester – or wherever else United fans come from – could deny that the Blues have been the best team in the league this season.
They’ve scored the most goals, lost the least games and will in all likelihood finish on 86 points – all crowns held by last year’s runners-up Liverpool, but the difference between that campaign and this has been the competitiveness of the division. Chelsea will rightly be lauded for finishing top of a league that seems to get tougher every year.
It has been a team effort too. Four Blues players are in the top 20 goalscorers in Premier League, while three are in the top five for assists.
Chelsea’s home form has been excellent. A December draw with Everton and February’s loss to Manchester City are the only blemishes on their record, and they’ve scored seven goals in a game three times. All of which points to a simple home win on Sunday, and then you remember what happened the last time the two met.
Wigan’s 3-1 win back in September was Chelsea’s first loss of the campaign, and the sight of Roberto Martínez and his band of skilful, willing runners will at least give Ancelotti some food for thought.
The Latics are safe – that remarkable 3-2 win over Arsenal last month ensured that – and while they’ll head to Stamford Bridge under no pressure, they also won’t want to finish their season with the kind of hammering that Stoke got in west London a fortnight ago.
That could be exactly what they are heading for though, as a fully motivated Chelsea line up against the third-leakiest defence in the division.
In Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda, the Blues have three of the most impressive attackers of the season, and the trio will be vital to their side’s hopes at the weekend. The Blues will win, surely, and it will cap a title triumph that will be quite different from those that they enjoyed under Mourinho.
Back then they were all about functionality over flair, substance over style, but their sudden explosion of goals – five on Sunday would see them reach 100 in the league alone this season – has made them a more attractive side to watch, and a bit more appealing to neutrals.
This could be the first of a Double success of course, with the Blues facing Portsmouth in next Saturday’s FA Cup final.
Do that, and Ancelotti – the manager viewed with suspicion back in August simply because he wasn’t a certain Portuguese – will have etched his name into Chelsea history. No Blues boss has ever won the league and cup Double.
Not one. Not even Mourinho.
Prediction: Chelsea 4 Wigan 1. Chelsea are champions.
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