A last-gasp Hernan Crespo goal saved Chelsea’s blushes on Sunday as the champions beat newly promoted Wigan 1-0 to avoid a stuttering start to the defence of their English Premiership title.
Argentinian Crespo curled a left-footed shot in from 20m to break the deadlock in injury time after Wigan — in the top flight for the first time in their history — had held the Londoners for 92 minutes at their JJB Stadium.
Pundits had been predicting a glut of goals for Jose Mourinho’s champions, but Paul Jewell’s Wigan Athletic proved more than a match for the new aristocrats of English football until the very end.
It was a cruel defeat for Wigan, but one from which they will take heart thanks to a solid performance.
Damien Francis had headed against the crossbar for Wigan, while Alan Mahon and Andreas Johansson went close. They so nearly got a point from the match and could have had all three.
While Chelsea left it till the dying seconds to secure victory, late strikes from Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie clinched an opening win for Arsenal over Newcastle earlier on Sunday.
Frenchman Henry scored home from a penalty with nine minutes left on the Highbury clock after Freddie Ljungberg had been brought down by Charles N’Zogbia. Van Persie’s sealed the 2-0 win six minutes later.
Newcastle had defended resolutely after Jermaine Jenas had been sent off for a foul on Gilberto Silva after half-an-hour, but were unable to hold on as Arsenal poured forward in the second half.
”They are a good side. It is never easy to play 10 men but I like the fact that we knew how to win because we kept patient,” Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said afterwards.
”Against a good Newcastle side, we knew before our penalty we could score — we could smell the goal coming.
”You could see we had a problem to change our pace and they were sharp. We know we can be much sharper and stronger.”
Newcastle, with only one striker fit for the game, managed just one effort on target, but Wenger believes they will be a danger during the season.
”I am convinced this Newcastle team will take points away from home,” he said. ”They have a good midfield, they keep the ball, they have a good work rate.”
Newcastle manager Graeme Souness is believed to have refused to speak to the media after the match in protest at the performance of the referee. — Sapa-DPA