EPL: Chelsea vs. Wigan [14.4.2008]

[Dellas]

Squad: Chelsea (from): Hilario, Taylor, Ferreira, Belletti, Alex, Terry, Carvalho, Ben-Haim, A Cole, Bridge, Lampard, Essien, Ballack, Sidwell, J Cole, Wright-Phillips, Shevchenko, Pizarro, Drogba, Obi, Makelele, Kalou, Anelka.

Avram Grant will again rely on Hilario in goal for Monday night's game with Wigan.
With Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini out with facial and hamstring injuries, reserve team keeper Rhys Taylor, 18 this week, will be on the bench.
Wigan midfielder duo Michael Brown and Jason Koumas are both available again after suspension. Manager Steve Bruce has no new injury concerns, with Erik Edman the only long-term absentee.

Won't be as easy as everybody thinks, Wigan are near the bottom and they need to get points from every game, so they will definitely be up for it. We have Everton 4 days later and we will need to rest some players in light of that trip... I won't try to predict the team... tho I expect him to play a pretty strong team. Mikel, malouda and Anelka probably coming in for Kalou, Drogba and Makelele. and belletti starting from the beginning perhaps.

[Dellas]

A must win game as Arsenal could do us no favours yesterday against Man utd.

BTW even if we win all our games Man Utd still win the title because of goal difference, so it is their title to lose. We will obviously chase them and put up a fight but we cannot do more than that.

for the Wigan game:

Chelsea ready to risk keeper Cech

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech may play in Monday's crucial match against Wigan with the Blues desperate for three points to keep their title hopes alive.

Cech had 50 stitches and underwent facial surgery after a training-ground collision with Tal Ben-Haim last week and could wear a chin guard.

"We are testing a mask," said manager Avram Grant. "For now it's a risk."

Cech has trained with and without the mask and Grant is awaiting a medical decision on whether to play him.

Cech's normal understudy Carlo Cudicini has a hamstring injury that could rule him out for the rest of the season so third-choice Hilario will play if the Czech keeper is not risked.

Chelsea are six points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United but could draw level if they win their next two games, against Wigan at Stamford Bridge, and then on Thursday at Everton.

606: DEBATE
Who will be in Avram Grant's Chelsea XI against Wigan?

United next play at Blackburn on Saturday before the two clubs meet at Stamford Bridge on 26 April.

And Grant insists that Chelsea can still win the league if they triumph in their five remaining fixtures.

"If we win every game I think we will win the title," he said.

"But it's not easy to win all the games. I said a week ago I didn't believe Man United and Arsenal would do it, it's not easy.

"I can't say we are the best in England but I don't think there is a team stronger than us.

"The players know it's a big opportunity and if I may say so, we deserve it after what we had this year."

Cech already wears a helmet to protect the skull he fractured in 2006 after a clash with Stephen Hunt, and is likely to wear the chin guard until his stitches are removed.

source: BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Chelsea | Chelsea ready to risk keeper Cech

He has to wear a protective face mask when will this mans luck change? I feel so sorry for him and praise him for the way he has dealed with all his injuries and I don't want him to be risked tonight I can handle Hilario for one more game.

[Dellas]

team is:

----------------------Cech---------------

-Belletti-------Terry----Alex-------Bridge----

-Ballack-----------Mikel--------Essien-----

---Malouda-------Anelka------Kalou---

Subs: Hilario, SWP, Shevchenko, Pizzaro , xxxxxx

No Drogba or Cole on the bench...interesting

I see why he put Alex and Terry togther because of Heskey and Sibierski

resting a couple of players for the Everton match but our bench isn't the strongest that it could be... we'll see I guess

[Dellas]

WTF!!

Lampard has to withdraw from the team....Belletti takes his place...so Essien at rb and Essien cm. With Pizarro taking Bellettis place in the squad...great

[edit:] Lampard out apparently because of a family member having a problem.

[Dellas]

0-0 HT.

Terrible performance. Atleast under Mourinho we were a bit more interesting. At least Cole is coming on.

give a better idea of the game at Ft.

[Sven]

Thats how you play football.

link

[Trim]

Essien, 1-0.

[Trim]

92 mins, 1-1, Heskey.

GAME OVER. FT 1-1.

Goodbye title dream?

[hijjawi1]

Anelka Header (Min 5)
Click Here for Video

Valencia Shoot (Min 20)
Click Here for Video

Ballack Skill (Min 23)
Click Here for Video

Anelka Header (Min 26)
Click Here for Video

Skoko Clearance (Min 35)
Click Here for Video

0-1 Essien (Min 55)
Click Here for Video

J.Cole Shoot (Min 77)
Click Here for Video

1-1 Heskey (Min 91)
Click Here for Video

[LAF]

Wow! How unlucky.

What a few days for United.

[Dellas]

You know what I hate the way we play and I knew that 1-0 and not even controlling the game would come back to haunt us. Wigan didn't deserve shit from that game first attempt on goal in teh 2nd half and they score

We can be blamed for not taking our chances but God only knows how Kirkland made those saves, it isn't his class that saved those shots but pure fluke.

First half performance was terrible...J.Cole came on and made a massive difference. Ballack had a crap night and I'm starting to think that he shouldn't start he doesn't seem to offer anything. Essien is out of this world he never stops and should have had at least 2 goals.

At least under Mourinho we dominated the games and even tho we won 1-0 we were never under threat from the teams. Grant is fu*king terrible get him the fuck out, he doesn't deserve to be there. With all the money that we have we cannot geta decent manager . We got rid of the SPECIAL ONE for THE SHITE ONE...attractive football my ass he cannot even win so what chance does he have of getting us to play attractive football.

We knew it would be impossible to win the title and tbh I'm not that disappointed because with these bad results GRANT is almost out. The only reason that we are second is because of the players not Grant he cannot motivate anyone. I'd rather have Steve Clarke than Grant as manager.

Luck has been against us and we have had a massive handicap but hopefully next season we will be back with a vengance. With an actual manager...

rant over. Congrats SAF (now he is a manager!!!)

[Dellas]

Oh yeah and btw we don't look like team without Lampard...because Ballack is a fifth of the player he was at Bayern imo.

[Nani17]

Hahaha

What were you saying Svennie boy?

26th April 2008 = VENGEANCE.

We haven't forgotten what happened 2 years ago.

[Arsenal007]

Hmm feels like and Arsenal game this year.

[__-SNAKE-__]

Chelsea practacly gave United the best present ever. Congrats Grant and Abramovich.