Chelsea scored another half-dozen against Wigan, on Saturday, to get into double figures for the season after only two matches. Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou got two apiece; Florent Malouda and Yossi Benayoun, one each. Kalou in particular had a brilliant outing coming on as a substitute.
Curiously, the first 30 minutes of the match did not give any inkling about how the match would eventually unfolded. Chelsea remained scoreless, as Wigan were lively, with Hugo Rodalegga their stand out performer. In the 33rd minute, the champions stepped up a gear. Lampard had a shot from close range, from a pass resulting from a Drogba and Cole combination on the left, that Kirkland kept out tipping the ball away.
Malouda’s quick reflex shot on the rebound, before Maynor Figueroa could get to the ball, broke the deadlock. Less than three minutes past the break, it was Anelka’s turn to figure on the score sheet. Mikel’s raking pass from the right to the Frenchman found the ball end in the goal near the post to Kirkland’s right, after Anelka’s low shot left Figuoroa, Alcaraz and Kirkland, standing. Four minutes later, Malouda’s cross from the left to Drogba was relayed across goal to Anelka who headed the ball home.
Kalou who came on as substitute for Malouda in the 70th minute scored eight minutes later, to put Chelsea 4-0 up. Kalou got his second in the 89th minute, followed by another sub, Benayoun, getting Chelsea’s sixth, in stoppage time, to complete the rout.