Chelsea vs Wigan (English Premier League)
Date: Saturday, 09th April 2011; Kick-Off: 15:00 GMT
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Chelsea vs Wigan - After the recent 1-0 loss against Manchester United in the Champions League, Chelsea will look to put up a impressive performance against Wigan and hunt down Arsenal for the 2nd position in the Premier League.
Chelsea vs Wigan - Catch all the latest team news, pre-match interviews & analysis and LIVE match Streaming right here at Chelsea FC News.
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Alex will be on the bench for the clash with Wigan and that Chelsea now has a fully-fit squad.
Team News
With the crucial Champions league tie on Tuesday against Manchester United, Ancelotti might rest some of the players and with a fully fit squad to select from Yossi Benayoun most likely will start after a seven month lay-off.
David Luiz will start in the central defensive position after missing out on the Champions League game due to ineligibility. Alex will on the bench as he recovers his full match fitness.
Wigan have a fully fit squad including Gary Caldwell who required emergency dental work after suffering a facial injury against Tottenham, but has been passed fit for the tie against Chelsea.
Probable Team Line-ups
Chelsea (probable, 4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, David Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard; Malouda, Anelka, Torres.
Wigan (probable, 4-5-1): Al Habsi; Boyce, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa; McCarthy, Watson; Moses, N’Zogbia, Cleverley; Rodallega.
Referee: Howard Webb.
Carlo Ancelotti on fit again Alex and Yossi Benayoun: "Alex is okay, he is fit. He doesn't start tomorrow but he will be involved on the bench. So I hope we can give him 30 to 35 minutes just to test his condition."
"Benayoun is a player who knows Fernando better because they have played together before and he can help him move on from this particular moment."
"He has fantastic ability with his final pass to help Fernando. He is not 100 per cent because he has had six months out but he is doing really well in training. For the first time in the season we have all the players without injury, this is good news."
Carlo Ancelotti on the game against Wigan: "In April, every club, every team, has to reach their aims, so every game is important."
"Wigan tomorrow will be an important game because they are fighting to survive and will give 100 per cent of their best and we must be ready to manage this."
"Wigan played very well and didn't concede a goal last week against Tottenham, so tomorrow will be a different game from the last two meetings with Chelsea, obviously."
"Every game is different, our aim is to win, we don't think of scoring lots of goals, just one more goal than the opponent. That is our aim for tomorrow."
Carlo Ancelotti on the team structure given the crucial Champions league tie against Manchester United is just three days away: "Tomorrow I want to play the best team, not think about the next game. It is important to win tomorrow with a good performance, a good spirit, a good attitude."
"The game will be important for us and obviously we must maintain a good concentration also for the game on Tuesday. We also need to change our minds immediately because we need a very good performance tomorrow."
"But also we worked very hard on Wednesday night and there may be some players who are not able to play 100 per cent and have to stay out."
Carlo Ancelotti on Fernando Torres and his lack of scoring: "Torres is relaxed, he is comfortable in training, he is happy, he likes to joke, I don't see him as afraid or worried."
"He has to be strong because in football you have to manage this kind of moment in your career. I don't think he has a personality which worries."
"He wants to score and will do everything to score and it's difficult to understand the reason he hasn't. One reason could be a new team and new team mates, everyone has to know each other. Fernando has to know the skills of the other strikers and his team mates need to know his movements."
"And when he arrived he was not 100 per cent because he had a problem last year. The big problem was in the summer when he had a tear on his hamstring, but he has improved."
"Fernando is a complete striker; he's not just a striker who likes to play in front. He likes to move, he likes to attack the line, he likes to come back and receive the ball, he likes to do one-against-one and he's very smart in the box. He doesn't have problems playing with another striker."
"I don't ask a player to score, I ask players to work hard. Our aim is for him to be fit to work for the team, obviously to score because he is a striker, but we don't ask him every time to score, score, score. This is not the right way to move forward."
Chelsea vs Wigan - Catch all the latest team news, pre-match interviews & analysis and LIVE match Streaming right here at Chelsea FC News.
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Alex will be on the bench for the clash with Wigan and that Chelsea now has a fully-fit squad.
Team News
With the crucial Champions league tie on Tuesday against Manchester United, Ancelotti might rest some of the players and with a fully fit squad to select from Yossi Benayoun most likely will start after a seven month lay-off.
David Luiz will start in the central defensive position after missing out on the Champions League game due to ineligibility. Alex will on the bench as he recovers his full match fitness.
Wigan have a fully fit squad including Gary Caldwell who required emergency dental work after suffering a facial injury against Tottenham, but has been passed fit for the tie against Chelsea.
Probable Team Line-ups
Chelsea (probable, 4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, David Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard; Malouda, Anelka, Torres.
Wigan (probable, 4-5-1): Al Habsi; Boyce, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa; McCarthy, Watson; Moses, N’Zogbia, Cleverley; Rodallega.
Referee: Howard Webb.
Chelsea FC - Training Ground News
Carlo Ancelotti on fit again Alex and Yossi Benayoun: "Alex is okay, he is fit. He doesn't start tomorrow but he will be involved on the bench. So I hope we can give him 30 to 35 minutes just to test his condition."
"Benayoun is a player who knows Fernando better because they have played together before and he can help him move on from this particular moment."
"He has fantastic ability with his final pass to help Fernando. He is not 100 per cent because he has had six months out but he is doing really well in training. For the first time in the season we have all the players without injury, this is good news."
Carlo Ancelotti on the game against Wigan: "In April, every club, every team, has to reach their aims, so every game is important."
"Wigan tomorrow will be an important game because they are fighting to survive and will give 100 per cent of their best and we must be ready to manage this."
"Wigan played very well and didn't concede a goal last week against Tottenham, so tomorrow will be a different game from the last two meetings with Chelsea, obviously."
"Every game is different, our aim is to win, we don't think of scoring lots of goals, just one more goal than the opponent. That is our aim for tomorrow."
Carlo Ancelotti on the team structure given the crucial Champions league tie against Manchester United is just three days away: "Tomorrow I want to play the best team, not think about the next game. It is important to win tomorrow with a good performance, a good spirit, a good attitude."
"The game will be important for us and obviously we must maintain a good concentration also for the game on Tuesday. We also need to change our minds immediately because we need a very good performance tomorrow."
"But also we worked very hard on Wednesday night and there may be some players who are not able to play 100 per cent and have to stay out."
Carlo Ancelotti on Fernando Torres and his lack of scoring: "Torres is relaxed, he is comfortable in training, he is happy, he likes to joke, I don't see him as afraid or worried."
"He has to be strong because in football you have to manage this kind of moment in your career. I don't think he has a personality which worries."
"He wants to score and will do everything to score and it's difficult to understand the reason he hasn't. One reason could be a new team and new team mates, everyone has to know each other. Fernando has to know the skills of the other strikers and his team mates need to know his movements."
"And when he arrived he was not 100 per cent because he had a problem last year. The big problem was in the summer when he had a tear on his hamstring, but he has improved."
"Fernando is a complete striker; he's not just a striker who likes to play in front. He likes to move, he likes to attack the line, he likes to come back and receive the ball, he likes to do one-against-one and he's very smart in the box. He doesn't have problems playing with another striker."
"I don't ask a player to score, I ask players to work hard. Our aim is for him to be fit to work for the team, obviously to score because he is a striker, but we don't ask him every time to score, score, score. This is not the right way to move forward."
Ramires on the game against Wigan: "I know how to split one thing from another and it is the same for all the players. Wigan is the next game, the one we are focused on and after the final whistle is done we can once against start thinking about the Champions League."
"It is important to get the three points, especially at home in front of our own crowd. It is important also to maintain the confidence levels for the games ahead."
Ramires on the 6-0 win against Wigan back in August 2010: "I remember the game, I was watching, and of course it would be very good for us if we could repeat that result and the performance but this game is going to be tough."
"We have the qualities to repeat it but Wigan's form has been good and they need points for themselves, so the three points are all we are thinking of."
Ramires on the game against Manchester United and the penalty controversy: "It was very clear that it was a penalty, it couldn't be more obvious. I controlled the ball, I was sure I was going to score, but the defender threw himself on to me and never in any instance touched the ball, I couldn't even run because he was all over my body so it was a clear penalty, as clear as possible."
KEY STAT
Chelsea's all-time record league win was the 8-0 against Wigan at Stamford Bridge in May.
This season:
Wigan 0 Chelsea 6.
Last season:
Wigan 3 Chelsea 1, Chelsea 8 Wigan 0.
Match Preview
Much criticism has been laid on Carlo Ancelotti and Fernando Torres for Chelsea's recent barren run, Ancelotti for favoring Torres ahead of Drogba & Anelka and Fernando Torres for lacking the finish in front of goal.
But this is a match where you might see Drogba rested and Torres starting up front and hardly anyone will complaint, WHY? Because Chelsea will be concentrating more on the second leg away tie at Manchester United. With 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday, Chelsea need to win at Manchester with more than a goal margin to secure a place in the Champions League semi finals.
For sure Ancelotti will give rest to few of his players considering the fact that Chelsea are nearly out of the Premier league race.
When Chelsea last played Wigan at Stamford Bridge it was a game which Chelsea fans will never forget and Wigan fans would never like to remember. A match where Chelsea netted eight goals and became the Premier League champions.This season was also a similar story with Chelsea beating Wigan 6-0 at the DW stadium.
Wigan currently lie at the bottom of the table and are fighting desperately to move out of the relegation zone. Roberto Martinez knows that this is the only top flight team he has to face in the run down to the final few games and with this in mind he knows that a defeat at the hands of Chelsea is not surely the end of the road for Wigan.
So get ready for some pulsating action at the Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.
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