Chelsea stretch ahead

Chelsea were made to work for the second time this season by new boys Wigan, a John Terry header giving the reigning champions all three points at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Referring to the 1-0 opening day win in the corresponding fixture, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said

"Same result, but different. In Wigan, we didn't deserve to win, today we deserved to."

Despite the result, Mourinho was not happy with his team's performance.

"We were good enough to win, good enough to control the game but not good enough in relation to the potential of my team," he said before concluding:

"We didn't play well."

A 67th minute Frank Lampard corner was powered in by an unmarked Terry past the helpless Mike Pollitt, and while Wigan did exert some late pressure Chelsea always seemed comfortable and could have added to their tally.

It had seemed that it might be one of those days for Chelsea, after they had what appeared to be a good goal disallowed. Joe Cole had been fouled just to the left of the Wigan box and while he was recovering from the knock, a quick-thinking Frank Lampard chipped the ball in to Hernan Crespo, whose header crashed down off the underside of the Wigan bar.

The ball appeared to have already crossed the line when Leighton Baines' amazing diving block sent the ball away and player into the back of the net, but Mike Dean couldn't be sure and waved play-on.

Wigan - coming off the back of consecutive defeats to London opposition - worked incredibly hard to prevent three in a row but were always a cut below Chelsea.

Carlo Cudicini - in for Peter Cech in a rare start - was barely troubled, although Josip Skoko and Lee McCulloch both came close for the visitors.

But Chelsea always looked the more dangerous, Crespo and half-time substitute Didier Drogba both going close, and when Terry scored the door was closed and Wigan stay seventh.

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Shefki Kuqi's winner gave Blackburn Rovers a a full-blooded 3-2 win over West Ham at Ewood on Saturday to temporarily move the Lancashire club into the top half of the table.

A Bobby Zamora strike from the edge of the box on the stroke of half-time after good work from Marlon Harewood - the former Brighton man's second in two games - put West Ham in front after Blackburn had dominated the first half.

The home side had a penalty shout turned down on 25 minutes after Khizanishvilli was brought down and the gods seemed to be against them when Zamora snatched the lead for the visitors.

But just before the hour a quickfire brace of Paul Dickov penalties gave Blackburn the lead they deserved although Marlon Harewood responded with an equaliser only minutes later.

The game was a passionate affair, with nine players booked and a number of brawls, and in spite of a brilliant Brad Friedel stop and yet more chances for the hosts, the score remained at 3-2 and Blackburn leapfrog West Ham into the top half of the table.

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A late Nicky Butt header gave basement boys Birmingham a vital 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Fulham at St. Andrews on Saturday.

A dire match with few chances threatened to come to life on the hour when Emile Heskey was put in by David Dunn, but his diving header was straight at Mark Crossley in the Fulham goal.

This didn't help open the game up, although the introduction of Jermaine Pennant by beleagured Blues boss Steve Bruce gave them a bit more spark.

The substitution of David Dunn did prove vital, as replacement Jamie Clapham provided the left foot cross that Butt was able to head past Crossley on 84 minutes to break Fulham hearts.

Birmingham move up one spot into 18th while Fulham hover just above the drop zone.

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Late second half subsitute Juan Pablo Angel scored an 88th minute goal to give Aston Villa a share of the points at Bolton on Saturday.

El Hadji Diouf had given the home side the lead only minutes earlier after being freed by Ricardo Vaz Té, but Angel - linked with January moves to Spain after falling behind Kevin Phillips and Milan Baros in the pecking order - made no mistake after great work by Luke Moore.

Bolton stay sixth while Villa move into 15th.

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Charlton put paid to their poor run by heaping yet more misery on bottom club Sunderland with a 2-0 win at the Valley on Saturday.

Goals from Darren Bent and Darren Ambrose either side of half-time gave the home side the points in a scrappy game that Sunderland only really turned up to after going two down.

Late chances for Justin Hoyte and Julio Arca and with a last minute penalty shout for Andy Gray could have changed things but Charlton held out and condemned the Black Cats to a tenth consecutive defeat.

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A superb goal from Diomansy Kamara and a second-half Kevin Campbell strike gave struggling West Brom the points over faltering Manchester City at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

On five minutes Senegal international Kamara flicked the ball over Ben Thatcher before punting the ball past David James in the City goal to give the Baggies the lead.

Kamara could have doubled the lead soon afterwards after a Richard Dunne error allowed him to 'round David James, but the England number two got a fingertip to the ball to force him wide.

Kevin Campbell did give West Brom some breathing space on the hour when he headed home a Paul Robinson cross after Kwankwo Kanu wrought havoc.

Manchester City ended the match with the men after Andy Cole was dismissed by Mike Dean for two yellow cards in the space of two minutes.

West Brom stay in 17th while City stay in 8th.