Chelsea looked set to drop points and fall further behind in the race for the top four for most of their match against Wigan Athletic on Saturday, but was able to grab a winner at the death. It took more than an hour for Chelsea to take the lead, and they surprisingly relinquished that lead. A draw looked like a near certainty, but Juan Mata scored in stoppage time of their 2-1 victory.
Chelsea Vs. Wigan Athletic, 2012 Premier League: Juan Mata Steals It Late
Branislav Ivanovic netted the opening goal 62 minutes in on a set piece, and he was hilariously offside when he scored. How the linesman missed it, the world will never know. Things "evened out" when Gary Caldwell clearly handled the ball in the box and the referee missed it entirely. This was just a poorly officiated match in general.
In the 82nd minute, Wigan equalized in stunning fashion. Mohamed Diame was the man who hit the back of the net, finding space in between three Chelsea players before unleashing an absolute rocket from 20 yards that Petr Cech had no chance to stop. Based on Chelsea's poor play, that seemed like it would be the game's last goal.
Of course, as we know now, it was not the last goal of the game. Mata popped up in stoppage time, applying the finish after Fernando Torres hit the post with a brilliant shot. Torres had been very poor before that shot, falling on his rear on a couple of occasions, but deserves serious praise for his woodwork assist.
Chelsea is now just two points behind Arsenal and three points behind Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Champions League spots.
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