FA Cup / Andrew French / 25 January 2008 /

Andrew French tells us why it should all be pretty straightforward for Chelsea as they face Wigan in the FA Cup

Say it quietly, but was the 'Special One' really what made Chelsea tick?

The doom mongers were proclaiming that the end of the Chelsea world was nigh when Jose Mourinho left the club earlier in the season. But have a look at them now. Four points off the pace in the race for the Premiership, in the Carling Cup Final, getting ready for the knockout stages of the Champions League, and thus heading to Wigan for tomorrow's FA Cup Fourth Round tie full of confidence.

Avram Grant may be more of the 'Grumpy-looking One', but Blues' fans who were wringing their hands following the change at the top must be feeling a mixture of mild shame and great anticipation now.

Even with an injury list the type of which Mourinho never had to contend with, Grant has lost just two of his 28 games in charge - and one of those was his debut at Old Trafford.

They've been ruthlessly effective on the road just lately. Four successive away wins, all by a single goal and conceding just once in the process. Indeed, defence seems to be the key for Grant, who has presided over 19 clean sheets in his 28 games.

Perhaps that mean streak is what possessed keeper Petr Cech to proclaim after the midweek semi-final victory over Everton that "Winning all four competitions is possible".

Grant would, to paraphrase an old football cliché, probably be happy to take it just one trophy at a time.

However, they will certainly not want to lose their grip on the FA Cup they won last May, and despite being away from home, their hosts have far more reason to have their minds elsewhere right now.

Wigan are in trouble. Anyone who saw them almost hand Everton a two-goal advantage in the space of three minutes on Sunday will know that Steve Bruce has work to do in getting his own side performing to a level - consistently - that will keep them in the Premiership.

The Latics were a revelation in their first season in the top flight but, as with so many clubs who enjoy similar honeymoon periods, it has been less plain sailing since then.

They can do the business, as last month's 5-3 beating of Blackburn illustrated. But the fact it came seven days after a 4-1 pasting at Bolton shows what Bruce has to overcome.

Their route into the Fourth Round was certainly impressive - a 3-0 win at Sunderland - but against opponents who have their own Premiership plight to think about, it is hard to know how much either side really wanted to go through.

With key league games against Sunderland and Derby on the horizon, Bruce will be torn between the chance to claim a notable scalp and lift morale, and the opportunity to rest key members of his squad, as has very quickly become de rigeur in the FA Cup.

Chelsea have their fair share of African Nations Cup absentees, and also seem likely to be without Frank Lampard who has suffered a second thigh tear. Could this be the afternoon that Nicolas Anelka steps up to the plate? We still await his first Chelsea goal - and it's actually four years ago this weekend since he last netted in the FA Cup.

What chance for Wigan? Not much in my mind. They'll battle and scrap and they could well hold the visitors for 45 minutes, so backing Draw/Chelsea [4.9] on the half-time/full-time market certainly appeals.

Chelsea can be backed at [1.56], a fair reflection of their likely dominance, given they are the away team. The draw is [4.1] to back. I'd make Wigan at least a [10.0] shot in my book to win this one in 90 minutes so there may even be some value in laying Bruce's boys at [8.0] - if you've got the bank to do it!

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