Chelsea stroll into form
Arjen Robben beats Chris Kirkland to score
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Saturday, 13, Jan 2007 07:34
After three successive league draws, Chelsea recovered their stride in a frantic title race with an easy 4-0 win over Wigan, the last team they beat in the Premiership.
Before Christmas it had taken a late Arjen Robben goal to clinch victory for the Blues at the JJB, but no such drama was necessary to secure three points in this return at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard's rich vein of goalscoring form continued rather fortuitously as his wicked free-kick delivery from the left evaded all its intended targets but not Chris Kirkland's unguarded far post.
After that 14th minute opener, the former Liverpool 'keeper was in the midst of the action and had to be at his best to deny Lampard a second on the half-hour, getting down well to the midfielder's low skidding shot.
Still in the game at half-time and having weathered Chelsea's attacking storm at the start of the second period, Paul Jewell will have hoped that doubts might start to prey on the hosts' minds and allow his team an equaliser.
Unfortunately for him a glaring error from new signing Kristofer Haestad just after the hour snuffed out any potential comeback he may have been plotting.
The Norwegian's back pass was easily read and picked up by Robben. The Dutch international showed no mercy in front of goal to secure the two-goal cushion.
That lead had not been enough in the teams' previous clash, but it was always going to be too much for the Latics to overhaul this time round.
Seven minutes later and Robben again proved too quick for Wigan's leaden-footed rearguard. His stinging shot ended up in the back of the net via Kirkland's elbow.
A header from Didier Drogba at the death added further lustre to the scoreline and kept up his own challenge for the Golden Boot.