A great cup week in the north-west was completed when Nicolas Anelka's first Chelsea goal and Shaun Wright-Phillips's third goal this month were enough for victory.

Chelsea were asked to survive a spirited last five minutes by Wigan during which they scored and hit the bar but on a difficult surface, the Chelsea performance in the second-half especially had merited an eighth straight win in all competitions.

After the excellence at Everton, and with resources limited, Avram unsurprisingly named an unchanged side. That meant 200th Chelsea appearances for both Claude Makelele and Joe Cole.

Cole almost celebrated the milestone in the very first minute when Chelsea cut through the centre of the Wigan side with ease. Sidwell turned on Malouda's pass but although Cole made space for the shot, he fired two yards wide.

The same Chelsea player attempted a speculative high ball into the box soon after that Kirkland caught and put the brakes on, just in time to prevent carrying it over the line.

After that eventful start, the game drifted into a lull. That was until 10 minutes in when Anelka, prodded through by Cole's ball, fell as Kilbane closed. Referee Uriah Rennie was unimpressed as the penalty question was asked.

The pitch was far from conducive to a good game. Divots abounded and there was a bare streak, like an elongated cricket wicket the full length down then centre.

On 25 minutes, Wigan had their first true sight of goal, Heskey doing well to gather possession and find Bent. Bridge's challenge to put the ball behind came just as the striker was preparing to shoot.

On 34 minutes, Alex became the game's first booking for blocking off Brown as Wigan attacked dangerously. Bramble entered the notebook six minutes later for tripping Wright-Phillips.

Belletti won a corner and took it himself, Alex's header momentarily causing panic in the home side's six-yard box before the ball found itself in Kirkland's hands.

In truth, neither side had looked like opening the scoring in the first-half. Although Chelsea had been superior, Anelka had been isolated and for all Joe Cole's craft, the team as a whole was lacking invention.

Anelka was unfortunate to be flagged offside with a clear run in sight when found by Wright-Phillips. Bramble appeared to be level.

Even more right to feel aggrieved was Carvalho, booked after tracking Heskey down the line and executing the perfect sliding tackle. The Portuguese defender will serve a one-match ban at Portsmouth. The free-kick was not cleared and Scharner eventually blasted over.

Two minutes later, on 53 minutes, the breakthrough came. This time, when Belletti chipped into the box, Anelka was correctly judged in line with Bramble and beating Kirkland to the ball, the new striker on the block poked home in front of the large Chelsea following. Scharner was booked for remonstrating with the linesman.

Heskey, looking for an instant response, forced Cech to block a shot at the near-post.

Palacios was booked for diving by Rennie just before the game's most controversial moment when Makelele's run forward was blocked by an off-the-ball barge by Michael Brown. Maka felt it - but the officials didn't see it.

Happily, after treatment, Chelsea's senior player was able to continue.

Koumas struck a free-kick straight at Cech as the game entered its final 15 minutes and then Malouda volleyed powerfully but well off-target from a Joe Cole cross. It was the Frenchman's last action. He was replaced by Ferreira who played central midfield, matching the three men Wigan had there after a recent change.

Two minutes later, the tie was over as a contest, Anelka making the most of Kilbane's misjudgement to advance and square to Wright-Phillips. The ball was struck low through Kirkland's legs, finding the net via the keeper's heel. There were 81 minutes gone.

At least we thought it was over. With four minutes still left, substitute Sibierski chested down and on the turn, fired expertly over Cech to make it 2-1.

Then in stoppage time, a ball behind the defence on the right was volleyed well on the run by Bent but with Cech stretching, it clipped off the top of the bar.

We had survived despite conceding our first goal in four games.

The FA Cup fifth round will be drawn at 1.25pm on Monday.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Belletti, Alex, Carvalho, Bridge; Wright-Phillips, Makelele (c), Sidwell; J Cole, Anelka (Pizarro 90+1), Malouda (Ferreira 79).
Scorer Anelka 53, Wright-Phillips 81.
Booked Alex 34, Carvalho 51.

Wigan (4-4-2): Kirkland; Melchiot (c), Scharner, Bramble, Kilbane; Valencia, Palacios (Sibierski 76), Brown, Taylor (Koumas 57); Bent, Heskey (Aghahowa).
Scorer Sibierski 81
Booked Bramble 40, Palacios 62, Valencia 83.