It's the opening weekend of the new Premiership season, and English champions Chelsea could only manage a 1-0 win against newly-promoted Wigan Athletic, a team Chelsea were expected to score 4 or 5 goals against. The winning goal probably came AGAINST the run of play and, cruelly for Wigan, it came three minutes into injury time.


From AOL News -

Chelsea humbled by Wigan.

Wigan Athletic 0-1 Chelsea
(Crespo, 93)


If this is the best Chelsea can offer, then the reigning Premiership champions will not have it all their own way in their bid to win back-to-back titles.

It took a sensational strike three minutes into injury time from Hernan Crespo, who spent all of last season on loan at AC Milan, to break the deadlock and Wigan hearts after Paul Jewell's side had undoubtedly done enough to earn a point on their top-flight bow.

Wigan showed scant regard for their more illustrious opponents, and on this evidence they may well buck the recent trend of promoted clubs making an immediate return to the Coca-Cola Championship.

Chelsea were given a rude awakening to life as new-boys Wigan gave the Blues a testing opening 45 minutes at the JJB Stadium.

Manager Paul Jewell's side had the better chances of the first half, in particular with record £3.1m signing Henri Camara forcing a fine save from Petr Cech, while Alan Mahon stabbed over with the goal at his mercy.

Chelsea struggled to make any impression but captain John Terry shaved the crossbar with a firm header and Damien Duff had debut goalkeeper Mike Pollitt at full stretch.

Mourinho, never one to rest on his laurels and clearly unhappy with his side's first half of work, brought on Wright-Phillips and Cole for Robben and Gudjohnsen at the start of the second period.

Just over a minute into the half, the duo combined just as Mourinho had been hoping for, with Wright-Phillips' pace taking him into the area for a cutback into the path of Cole, but who sliced his effort horribly wide.

With such an attacking line-up, Chelsea began to dominate, but other than a Wright-Phillips drive into De Zeeuw, they continued to lack penetration.

In injury time, with Wigan scenting a sensational victory, they had the chance to win the game as they broke inside the Chelsea half with Roberts feeding sub Andreas Johansson, only for the Swede to drag his shot wide.

It proved crucial, for within seconds Chelsea broke the deadlock and Wigan hearts in the third minute of injury time with Crespo curling a stunning strike from 20 yards with his left foot beyond the outstretched grasp of Pollitt.


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The other Premiership scores -

Aston Villa 2-2 Bolton

Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United

Everton 0-2 Manchester United

Portsmouth 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester City 0-0 West Brom

Fulham 0-0 Birmingham City

West Ham 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Sunderland 1-3 Charlton Athletic

   

Remeber last season when Chelsea won their first few games 1-0 or by 1 goal. Everyone thought they wouldn't do much playing like that and look what happened. Give them time. I'm sure they'll pummel Arsenal next week.

   

They beat Arsenal 2-1 last week in the Community Shield, but I think Arsenal were the better team. We'll just see what happens again when they play Arsenal at the weekend.

My favourites to win the Premiership are Manchester United.

Also, Liverpool drew 0-0 against Middlesbrough in the Premiership. I forgot to mention that score.

   

Yeah, that Liverpool score pissed me off. Gerrard should have and could have had a hat trick.

I also would love to see the Red Devils win the EPL again, and their owning of Everton was a good start, but Chelsea's depth is quite intimidating. Mourinho could start his B-team and still beat the majority of teams in the EPl.

   

We'll see how Chelsea do today against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. I'll be listening to it on the radio. I think Chelsea will win. The chances that they'll lose on their home ground, even against Arsenal, are about as remote as Elvis Presley crashing a flying saucer into the Loch Ness Monster.

United looked impressive again yesterday when they beat Aston Villa.

   

I hope Chelsea walks all over Arsenal today. The game is on the "Score" network here in BC starting in just a few min at 8 AM. I'll only catch the first 30 min or so before I have to go out for the day, but I'll catch the re-run on Fox Sports World Canada in a day or so.

Man-U is my favorite team as well. I started cheering for them back in the 70's when many of the Man-U players played in the summers for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the old defunct NASL. Wow, did I ever just date myself....I was quite yound back then..........

   

Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal

This was Arsene Wenger's 500th game in charge of Arsenal, but there was no partying for him or his team after his team was beaten by a Didier Drogba goal.

His goal was a fluke. It certainly wasn't intentional. The ball just ricocheted off his shin and went into the net. But that gave Chelsea the win, and leave Arsenal already 3 points behind Manchester United and Chelsea after only 2 games have been played.

Also, if you can believe it, that was Chelsea's first win against Arsenal in the Premiership since September 1995!

There are some more Premiership games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Chelsea play West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal play Fulham in another London derby.

   

Here's the Premiership table, for what it's worth after only 2 games.

.................................Played....Points......GoalDifference
Tottenham ..................2 ........ 6.......... 4
Charlton .....................2......... 6.......... 3
Man Utd ......................2........ 6.......... 3
Chelsea ......................2......... 6......... .2
West Ham ...................2......... 4.......... 2
West Brom ..................2.........4.......... 1
Man City...................... 2........ 4........... 1
Liverpool .....................2 ........4.......... 1
Arsenal ......................2.......... 3........... 1
Blackburn ...................2 ........ 3.......... -1
Everton ......................2.......... 3......... -1
Aston Villa ..................2 ......... 1........ -1
Bolton ........................2 .........1....... -1
Birmingham ................2........ 1...... -1
Fulham .......................2.........1 .......-1
Middlesbrough ............. 2...... 1........ -2
Newcastle ...................2 ......1 ........-2
Wigan ........................ 2 ........0........-2
Portsmouth .................2........ 0.........-3
Sunderland ................ 2 .. .....0.......... -3

   

Today's Premiership scores (scores at half-time in brackets) -


Aston Villa 1 (1) Blackburn 0 (0)

Fulham 1 (0) Everton 0 (0)

Man City 2 (0) Portsmouth 1 (0)

Tottenham 0 (0) Chelsea 2 (1)

West Brom 2 (1) Birmingham 3 (3)

West Ham 1 (0) Bolton 2 (0)

Wigan 1 (1) Sunderland 0 (0)





Team ....Games....Points.....GoalDifference
Chelsea.. 4 .........12.......... 8
Man City.. 4....... 10........... 3
Bolton..... 4......... 7............. 2
Tottenham. 4......... 7........... 2
Arsenal..... 3........ 6............ 4
Charlton.... 2........ 6........... 3
Man Utd ....2........ 6............ 3
Aston Villa. 4......... 5........... 0
West Ham. 3.......... 4.......... 1
Middlesbrough. 3..... 4.......... 1
Liverpool .. 2...... .......4..........1
Blackburn.. 4........... 4.......... -2
Birmingham .4.......... 4.......... -3
Fulham ...... 4........... 4......... -3
West Brom ..4........... 4 .........-4
Wigan ....... 3............ 3.......... -1
Everton ....... 3........... 3 ..........-2
Portsmouth... 4........ 1.......... -4
Newcastle ...... 3......... 1.......... -4
Sunderland ...... 4...... 0 ..........-5




Manchester United Play Newcastle tomorrow, and Charlton play Middlesbrough.