Chelsea FC vs. Wigan: 5 Lessons Learned from the Blue's Exciting Win

Juan Mata snatched a late-game winner in stoppage time for Chelsea FC to give them the win over visiting Wigan and a vital three points as they chase that fourth-place spot.

Wigan would not go away easily, as Branislav Ivanovic’s controversial goal was erased by a magnificent strike from Wigan’s Mohamed Diame.

The game was on edge for the last 10 minutes, as Chelsea knew full points were needed to keep pace with Tottenham and Arsenal.

The breakthrough came just two minutes from time. Drogba’s clever flick found Torres on the far side of the box, whose volley rattled off the post. But Mata was there to gather up the rebound and turn it in for a game winner.

Here are five things to take away from the result.

Ryan Bertrand Is the LB of the Future

Ashley Cole has been the indisputable Chelsea left-back since he came to the club. But at 30 years old and averaging 50 games a season for club and country, he will not be so dominant for much longer.

Today’s match, Betrand proved once again that he is up to the task of filing his shoes.

You could make the argument that Bertrand was the best defender for Chelsea on the day. He had a few great tackles, including one where he was beat, but was able to recover and make a last-ditch slide in the box. He kept the Wigan wide players quiet all game and was even a bit of a threat attacking down the flank.

It may only against Wigan, but this is the level that he is currently at. As long as he continues to perform well in the games he is supposed to, he will develop into quite a good player.

Daniel Sturridge’s Inconsistency Will Cost Them

Sturridge had a horrendous day on the pitch. The worst statistical numbers on the team in nearly all categories, it seemed the attack went to his feet to die.

After getting off to an incredible start to the campaign he has slowed down tremendously in recent weeks. His play has not really changed, but he has just not been finding the goal, exposing the frailty in his play. If he is not scoring, he provides nothing to the attack.

His role on the team will have to be examined in the offseason. He obviously does not fit in the winger role that he has been placed in all year. He has made it known he wants to play centrally and plays like it as well. But until then, he is better fit on the bench than hindering the attack.

Torres and Drogba Must Play Against Barca

We as Chelsea fans have been calling for it since the arrival of Torres last winter, but have rarely been answered. There has never been a good reason given why Torres and Drogba are kept on separate lineups week in and week out, as though they are feuding siblings, but today, Di Matteo put them on to get the winner and he was rewarded.

Torres became an instant threat in the wide position, as Drogba attracted the defense to him the whole match. If it had not been for the fact Torres was apparently playing without spikes, he would have gotten a goal himself.

But the two finally linked up in the last minute to create Mata’s game-winner in stoppage time.

Right now, neither Drogba nor Torres can make the claim as the better striker. Both are only half in form. But when you put them both on the pitch, you double your chances of scoring.

Chances will be few a far between against Barca. Rather than relying on one player to make it happen, sticking both on the field will be what gets them the goals they need.

The Scoreboard Is the Only Thing That Matters

I am sick of hearing the following statement made against Chelsea: The other team played better. Really? Then why does the other team continue to lose?

For some reason, the footballing community has become so enamored with this idea of style that they have forgotten that the only thing that matters is the final score. Chelses may have not been pretty in their display today and made it nerve-racking for the fans, but they got the full three points and feel much better about themselves after the game than Wigan.

We can only expect more of this as Chelsea get ready to face off against Arsenal, Tottenham and Barca in the next few weeks—teams that have all made a living off of style and flair, but only Braca has turned it into anything of note. Chelsea will be out-possessed, outshot and probably outplayed, but their chances of winning are as good as any.

Whatever happens during the 90 minutes of play means nothing except for what it does to the scoreboard at the end. Chelsea continue to get wins, and that’s all that matters.

The Race for Fourth Is Still on

With Tottenham again shooting themselves the foot with their draw at Sunderland, Chelsea three points back of Spurs for third and two back of Arsenal who have a game in hand. Newcastle is also poking their head into the race for the final playoff spot, level on points with Chelsea, but in fifth due to goal differential.

With Manchester City’s epic collapse, the league seems destined to stay with United. And other than the always-engaging relegation battle, the struggle for Europe next season will be the most entertaining thing to watch in football as the season nears an end.

There are four teams battling for two spots, with the chances of change in seeding happening on a daily basis.

Tottenham is in the driver seat, but currently the most out of form. Arsenal looks good, but has some tough fixtures coming up. Chelsea are playing well, but with six games in 17 days, it will be hard to manage. And Newcastle are in the best form, but they may have too much ground to cover.

All in all, this will be a fun race to watch!

What Did You Learn?

It was a tense victory, but an important one as Chelsea come into this tough stretch of games. With seven changes from the one that won midweek against Benfica, there was sure to be some lack of communication.

So, what did you learn from this match?

As a note, I purposefully kept the slide "IVANOVIC IS A BEAST!!!" off because, at this point, that's a given.

As always, please leave your comments below, and thanks for reading!

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