Ancelotti suffers first defeat as Chelsea slump to Wigan

Wigan handed 10-man Chelsea a first defeat under Carlo Ancelotti as the Latics took advantage of Petr Cech’s dismissal to win 3-1 at the DW Stadium on Saturday.

The Blues had won all six of their Premier League matches since Ancelotti arrived from AC Milan in the close-season.

But Wigan over-powered Chelsea with a dominant display. Roberto Martinez’s side, who had won just twice so far this season, took the lead through Titus Bramble.

Didier Drogba looked to have restored order when he levelled just after the restart with his 100th Chelsea goal.

But the key moment came when Cech tore out to trip Rodallega, earning himself a red card. The Columbian lashed in the spot-kick before Paul Scharner added a late third.

Chelsea, who surrendered top spot to Manchester United, were first to threaten when Frank Lampard skipped a free kick through the wall only for Chris Kirkland to save.

At the other end Hendry Thomas gave Cech an early test with a rifled free kick that the Czech goalkeeper held with a scrambling save.

Just before the quarter of an hour mark, Charles N’Zogbia cut on fro the right and slipped Jason Scotland through but the Trinidad front-man’s strike thumped away off Cech.

And shortly after that Chelsea went to sleep at a Wigan corner and the Latics took a shock lead.

Ancelotti’s side failed to react as N’Zogbia was given the time and space to cross for an unmarked Bramble to guide in a header.

The Londoners looked for an immediate response but Florent Malouda’s through-ball saw Drogba waste the opening.

Wigan looked confident and slick on the ball and Scharner fired straight at Cech after another classy passing move.

And Cech had to be alert again to hold a stinging N’Zogbia drive from another free kick.

Another opening passed for the hosts when strong play from Scotland saw the front-man off-load to Scharner, who scooped over the bar.

Scharner slipped as he was about to shoot after swapping passes with N’Zogbia and bursting into the area.

Only a well-timed slide from John Terry stopped Scotland firing in after the ex-Swansea man seized on hesitation from Ricardo Carvalho.

From the corner that followed, Wigan again played short and N’Zogbia’s hanging cross was knocked back in for Emmerson Boyce to force a fine block from Cech.

Just two mintues after the restart, Chelsea pulled level.

Malouda found space down the left and crossed for Drogba to scuff his shot through Kirkland’s legs for his sixth goal of the season.

The Blues almost pulled in front when Carvalho found Terry and his snap-shot deflected wide off Bramble.

But five minutes later, the match was blown wide open once again when Cech was given a straight red for clipping Rodallega after the Columbian was sent through by N’Zogbia.

And substitute goalkeeper Hilario’s first action was to pick the ball out of the back of his net after Rodallega blasted the spot-kick straight down the middle.

Scharner could have added a third for Wigan but dragged his shot wide from just outside the area.

When substitute Salomon Kalou swung at thin air and then lashed over the bar in the space of a couple of minutes, Chelsea must have realised it would not be their day.

And after Ashley Cole was carried off, Scharner tapped in Maynor Figueroa’s cross to complete Chelsea’s misery in the 90th minute.