For the first time this season, Pat Nevin writes his Tuesday column just hours after a result and like all Chelsea followers, our former player is full of frustration and questions.


In the first half of last night's match, visitors Wigan understandably came to defend and in those 45 minutes it worked a treat for the Lancashire outfit. To be honest the home team weren't hugely impressive either in an attacking sense, but there still didn't seem any need to panic, there was time.

Not for the first time this season there was an apparent lack of urgency which was hard to fathom considering the importance of the available three points in the title race. A goal in that first half would have settled nerves and possibly destroyed the confidence of Steve Bruce's struggling side but the dawdling performance didn't really deserve it.

Not surprisingly the necessary change was made at the break and Joe Cole immediately had the desired effect. The whole dynamic changed and the wide man's attitude created the space that led to a succession of chances as well as a more positive attitude from his team mates.

John Terry and Salomon Kalou could have scored in the minute that saw the break through from Michael Essien. It is difficult to know what really happened at half time unless you were actually in the dressing room, but depending on whether or not you are a fan of Avram Grant, the manager made a tactical change of true genius or the boss should have had Joe Cole on from the start, instead of torturing the fans in the first half and spurning the opportunity to wrap it all up early.

As it was the 80-game unbeaten run in the league looked to be in very little danger. With the more acceptable tempo and general attitude that was clearly visible in the improved performance from the midfield, and of Essien in particular, the fans were happier. In fact there was a 20-minute period when Chelsea were creating at as good a rate as they have done all season.

The Ghanaian alone could have scored a hat trick before the moment that may well have killed Chelsea's season arrived in injury time. Time and again the Chelsea style has been to do just enough, and it was I suppose certain that eventually luck was going to desert the club. This time there was no time to react.

Petr Cech bravely came back in to the squad to keep goal, but for most of the match I could have played between the sticks with little danger of conceding. There was a scare in the final minutes of normal time but the man with the season ticket to the surgeon's office was equal to it. There was however nothing he could do to stop Emile Heskey's effort.

The what ifs will go on for some time. Had Joe Cole been on from the start would the team have been more likely to be more than one goal ahead when Heskey scored? Had Carvalho, our best defender this season, been playing, would he have cleared the danger at the death?

The team didn't deserve to drop points on the night, but football isn't what you deserve to get, it is what you actually get that counts, just ask Arsène Wenger.

The team will not give up in the league just in case and Everton lie ahead on Thursday to ensure focus but it would take a shocking capitulation by Manchester United to allow us another sniff at the title. Another disappointment is that the big game against United may not carry quite the same importance.

Maybe the most difficult thing to take from this season so far is the fact that the chances of trophies have been thrown away when the club have actually been strong favourites in games. Barnsley will hurt for a long time and the final against Spurs was an insipid performance. Last night it was two points dropped at home against an average side, when in control and ahead, but vitally not far enough ahead to be certain.

Everton at Goodison now becomes a must-win on Thursday to put at least some pressure on United and it will not be easy. Davie Moyes has his team organised and they are still battling to catch Liverpool in the hope of snatching a Champions League place themselves.

The Champions League will now be in ever sharper focus at the Bridge, three competitions down and only one to go, and the most positive thing I can say right now is if you gave me a choice of only one trophy at the start of the season, then the continent's premier trophy would be the one for me. I just hope we can get it.

Last week I wanted you to tell me which current Chelsea player was voted the Champions League top defender in 2003-04. Just a little trick in the question this week, many people thought it was John Terry but it was Ricardo Carvalho, who was actually playing with Porto at the time.

The winner was Hamish Dunsford from Adelaide, South Australia who gets a copy of the book Chelsea - A History in Pictures.

This week to win a Four Ever Chelsea DVD boxset, could you tell me who was the last team to beat Chelsea at home in the league? Answers as ever to pat.nevin@chelseafc.com