Wigan Athletic vs Chelsea FC Preview
In what has been billed as the ‘Battle of the Robertos’, Italian Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea will take on Spanish Roberto’s Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on Sunday, 19 August 2012, the first premier league game for both sides.
Chelsea FC:
Following a very disappointing preseason and a loss in the first professional game, the Community Shield to league champions Manchester City, Roberto Di Matteo’s new look Chelsea will be looking to hit the ground running when they mount their title challenge away at the DW Stadium against Roberto Martinez’s Wigan Athletic.
Chelsea and Wigan Athletic have not been on the friendliest of terms this season given Victor Moses long drawn out transfer saga linking him to Chelsea. Chelsea will look to stamp their dominance on Wigan who, in the past couple of years, have impressed their critics and shown time and again why they deserve to remain in England’s most elite football league.
Under Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea has already enjoyed much success in the latter half of last season with the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Club owner Roman Abramovich will be hoping that the same determination and victories can be translated across all six competitions Chelsea are contesting this year. Having strengthened almost all departments most notably the midfield, all eyes will be centered on two key players. Big money signings Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres. January 2011 signing Torres has shown some very positive signs of improvement and is very close to being his best. With a midfield having the likes of Hazard, Lampard, Mata and Ramires behind him, it would not be optimistic but realistic in believing that we may see the 25+ goals-a-season-Torres that everyone loved. Hazard has shown some good movement on the ball and will be hoping to impress the crowds with his trickery and erase the memory of that failed backheel against Manchester City.
Team News:
Unfortunately, Chelsea will miss the services of new signing Marko Marin who is suffering from a minor hamstring injury. Daniel Sturridge, meanwhile, has recovered fully from a toe injury and is fit for the game. Chelsea will be looking to field a strong team in their first Premier league game and win convincingly to sound out a warning to the Manchester Clubs to not discount the European Champions in the Premier league race. Chelsea also have to keep a lookout for the Reading game three days later on 22nd August followed by their game at Newcastle on 25th and the UEFA Super Cup on 31st August in what is an extremely physical and mentally draining set of fixtures.
Lineup: (4-2-3-1)
1.Petr Cech ; 2.Branislav Ivanovic, 4.David Luiz, 26.John Terry, 3.Ashley Cole; 16.Raul Meireles, 8.Frank Lampard; 7.Ramires, 10. Juan Mata, 17. Eden Hazard; 9. Fernando Torres
Bench: 22.Ross Turnbull, 34. Ryan Bertrand, 24. Gary Cahill, 12.John Obi Mikel, 5.Michael Essien, 11. Oscar, 23.Daniel Sturridge
Wigan Athletic FC:
Although Wigan Athletic is supremely talented as was visible in the last couple of months of the season, they seem to immensely enjoy a relegation battle with teams and are always found floundering between spots 14-20. Wigan’s young Spanish manager Roberto Martinez is a class act in himself. Having been on the shortlist for the manager’s spot at Liverpool, there is no doubting this manager’s caliber and his ability to make the best of his resources. Some inspired signings in Arouna Kone and Ivan Ramis notwithstanding, the departures of Mohamed Diame and Hugo Rodallega to West Ham and Fulham is going to hurt them big time. Martinez engineered what was probably Wigan’s greatest run of games when they went and bagged themselves 22 out of a possible 30 points beating the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle along the way. Replicating a similar form for even half the season will see them easily fight for a top half-finish.
Team News:
The biggest concern for Wigan is the fitness of new signing Ivan Ramis and a suspected back injury to influential young midfielder James McCarthy although his namesake James McArthur is available, along with Arsenal loaner Ryo Miyachi. Former Chelsea striker Franco Di Santo is available for the game as is Captain Antolin Alcaraz.
Lineup: (4-4-2)
26. Ali Al-Habsi; 17.Emmerson Boyce, 3.Antolin Alcaraz, 5.Gary Caldwell, 22.Jean Beausejour; 11.Victor Moses, 16.James McArthur, 14.Jordi Gomez, 7.Albert Crusat; 2.Arouna Kone, 9.Franco Di Santo
Bench: 12. Mike Pollitt, 23. Ronnie Stam, 31.Maynor Figueroa, 32.Ryo Miyachi, 8.Ben Watson, 10.Shaun Maloney, 19.Mauro Boselli
Prediction:
Wigan Athletic has no chance in this game. They seem to work well only under pressure (read relegation battle). Being the first game of the season they will be out to prove a point but European Champions Chelsea will prevail easily. Expect Chelsea to be up by atleast a goal by half time. Torres and/or Hazard or both might make an appearance on the score sheet.
0-3 (Chelsea Victory)