Chelsea 8-0 Wigan: Blues Cruise To The Premier League Title

Chelsea clinched the Premier League title with a performance worthy of champions, as the put on a clinical display at Stamford Bridge that proved far more than a dejected Wigan Athletic side could cope with.

It was Nicolas Anelka who started the party ahead of schedule on Sunday, taking barely five minutes to lash a cushioned header beyond Mike Pollitt. From that platform the home side were initially cautious in their pursuit of a second, until Frank Lampard picked himself up on the half-hour mark to convert from the spot after Latics' defender Gary Caldwell had been given his marching orders.

Salomon Kalou added a third early in the second half, before Anelka got the celebrations in full flow with his second of the game minutes later. With the party in full swing and the floodgates wide open, Didier Drogba then clinched the golden boot award with the fifth, sixth and seventh goals of the game, increasing his tally to an impressive 29 for the season, before Ashley Cole capped it all off late on as the west London club celebrated their coronation as champions in the most emphatic style imaginable.

Both sides started the game brightly, but it was Chelsea who created the first chance of note as Kalou was brought down around 30 yards from goal after galloping beyond the midfield on a dangerous counter-attack. Drogba could do no better than smash the resulting free-kick into the wall, but the ball ricocheted out to Lampard, who caught out the onrushing defense as he floated a header back into the box.

Florent Malouda was the man most alert to the danger, and the Frenchman avoided suspicions of offside to cushion the ball down for his countryman Anelka on the edge of the six-yard box. Teed up perfectly, the 31-year-old made no mistake with his right foot as he volleyed the ball first-time beyond former Manchester United trainee Mike Pollitt at his near post.

If that wasn't the defining point in the game, then it finally came 25 minutes later  as Chelsea made their second meaningful attack count in clinical fashion. Kalou again ran with the ball down the right, and after some slick inter-play the ball found Lampard on the edge of the box. Marked tightly by Caldwell — who was also beaten by Malouda in the creation of the opener — the England midfielder's deft touch deceived his marker completely, leaving the Scot with little choice but to clumsily drag him to the floor as he burst into the box.

Referee Martin Atkinson didn't hesitate in pointing to the penalty spot, and compounded the punishment on Roberto Martinez's side by dismissing Caldwell. When the protests died down Lampard made no mistake from 12 yards out, blasting a trademark strike low to his left beyond Pollitt's despairing dive.

Wigan showed glimpses of their commendable attacking instincts throughout the game, but were agonizingly unable to find a final through ball that could have created any response to their opponents' goals. Hugo Rodallega — so influential in the Latics' victory in the reverse fixture at the DW Stadium in September — was a frequent threat to the Blues' defense, causing problems with his pace and movement, but was undone by a lack of quality service.

Defensively, meanwhile, Wigan showed why they struggled to ensure their league survival for much of the campaign. Caldwell's 30 minute cameo was poor, and his center-back partner Gohouri was little better all game. Beyond the two mishaps they survived the first half reasonably well, but in the second half their lack of quality was ruthlessly exposed.

Chelsea were first to emerge after the half-time break, and were also the first to threaten in the second half, with only a dubious offside decision ending some early danger after Lampard's flick clattered Pollitt's crossbar.

But it didn't take much longer for Ancelotti's side to get their third, with Kalou once again at the heart of the good work. The Ivorian slipped the ball to Lampard down the right-hand side of the box, and the Englishman completed a fine one-two as he slide a low cross between Wigan's defenders to find the striker unmarked, who made no mistake in passing a shot beyond the 'keeper into the bottom corner from all of five yards out.

Three minutes later they had a fourth, with Anelka grabbing his second of the game. Branislav Ivanovic popped a fine cross into the Frenchman at the back post, and the striker showed his first goal was no fluke as he hit another sweet first-time volley beyond Pollitt, this time at his far post.

It was a wonderful finish, the best of the game, and the players finally celebrated it as if they finally believed the title had been secured

Ancelotti immediately made changes, withdrawing the impressive Kalou for Joe Cole and the solid Ivanovic for the Juliano Belletti, in what is likely to be the out-of-contract Brazilian's penultimate game for the club.

Drogba — pursuing the league's golden boot award — had been vocal in his discord at earlier being denied the opportunity to take the penalty Lampard converted, needing a stern rebuke from his team-mates to put an end to his childish petulance.

The 32-year-old failed to capitalize on a number of decent second-half chances to edge ahead of Wayne Rooney, but finally got the one he wanted — his 27th, and the Blues' 100th of the campaign — after rising highest and the far post to turn in Lampard's chipped cross.

Only seconds earlier the Ivorian had been denied by Pollitt after an acrobatic overhead kick, and the relief as he celebrated his goal was obvious for all to see.

With the floodgates well and truly open, Drogba then got to take the penalty he desired after Ashley Cole was ineptly knocked down by former Blue Mario Melchiot. It was an act of selflessness from Lampard to allow his team-mate to take the kick, and Drogba made sure he was not left embarrassed as he blasted the ball in off the right-hand upright.

Having scored seven goals in front of the home fans three times this season, a fourth such exhibition looked on the cards with almost 20 minutes remaining. And Drogba completed his hat-trick to notch the seventh of the game, turning the ball into an unguarded net after Joe Cole's low cross was ineffectively diverted by Pollitt.

With the game long since won, Ancelotti's side finally took their foot off the gas. As the vast majority of Stamford Bridge stood up to salute the champions, the players understandably seemed to relax as they soaked up the occasion. A relieved Wigan took the respite as a chance to get a consolation goal, but Petr Cech preserved his clean sheet with a wonderful late save from substitute Victor Moses' rasping drive.

Even in party mode, Chelsea still found the cherry on top with their record eighth goal of the season, as Ashley Cole lashed home another volley after good work from Joe Cole gave him the time and opportunity to lay on another lofted cross.

Drogba then had a final chance to grab a ninth — equaling the defensive disaster Wigan endured at Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season — but his wickedly-struck drive flew agonizingly wide of Pollitt's near post.

Reduced to the final formality of a memorable season, the final whistle was nevertheless greeted with delirium by the Stamford Bridge faithful, as players and staff rushed onto the pitch to celebrate their first such triumph since 2006.

Club owner Roman Abramovich was an excitable spectator at the game — heading every cross and applauding every free-kick — and it will be interesting to see whether this timely success will encourage the Russian oligarch to loosen the purse-strings for a summer spending spree.

Ancelotti — the new hero of west London —was lifted off the ground by his players as they finally celebrated being Premier League champions. It was fitting that such a moment came on a day where Chelsea reminded everyone exactly why they deserved to be.

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