The winning start and the perfect record at the JJB Stadium continues but like so often at Wigan, it was tight.

A moment of Deco magic separated the sides but the display never reached the heights of the 4-0 win over Portsmouth and Scolari's men were thankful to three Petr Cech saves for maintaining the lead.

Scolari had been forced to make one change to the side so successful last Sunday - Essien in for Mikel in the holding midfield role, the Nigerian unavailable.

Wigan boss Steve Bruce had planned to make two changes, Titus Bramble and Jason Koumas the ones coming in but had another forced upon him - the luckless Chris Kirkland pulling out after the teams had been named, replaced by Mike Pollitt.

With just three minutes on the clock, Deco continued to make his impressive instant impact on the English game.

Last week it was a goal from 30-yards out and in open play, eight minutes playing time later, he found the top left-hand corner with a perfect free-kick from 20 yards, a foul on Ballack having been whistled up.

It was a superb strike. More than one Blues follower must have thought of Gianfranco Zola.

Wigan, to their credit, responded with fortitude and shaded territorial advantage over the rest of the half.

After a short spell of pressure, the home team drew a good save with his legs fromCech after Zaki had been played through on goal.

On 13 minutes, Terry was booked for pulling back Heskey after his England colleague had rolled beyond the skipper. It was not his only shaky moment of the half.

Palacios then tried a highly ambitious 30-yard lob that had Cech concerned before it dropped wide.

It was time for Chelsea to respond. Two corners were won in quick succession, the second headed just a yard over by Carvalho.

Kitted all in black, the team line-up once again had Joe Cole, Deco, Lampard and Ballack as a fluid midfield behind Anelka, the first two more likely to aid the full-backs in providing width, Joe the more often seen pushing up into the box.

Ashley Cole flashed a diagonal drive well wide after Bramble was twice hurried into messy distribution by Chelsea pressing.

The Wigan defender atoned a by setting his team on a attack that resulted in an even better save by Cech from Zaki than the earlier one. That came with 20 minutes to go to the break.

Anelka wasn't too far away from finding the head of Ballack with a cross and when Ashley Cole's free-kick came in a minute later, it was Anelka who nodded off-target.

They were brief moments in a laboured close to the first half but there was more cause for the Chelsea fans to rise to their feet when in front of them, Anelka appeared to be tripped in the area by Boyce. However referee was Alan Wiley unmoved by penalty appeals.

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The second half started with an early booking for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole for a late challenge on Essien.

In terms of performance, Chelsea were still frayed at the edges. The midfield link-ups weren't present.

There was an attempt at the Deco volley corner routine but Lampard's ball failed to reach the Portuguese player.

Joe Cole and Anelka were struggling to work good possession in the final third and it was the former withdrawn on 57 minutes, Kalou the Olympian his replacement.

When Chelsea did put a fluid move together 10 minutes later, a fine Ballack ball at the centre of it, it took a very well-timed Cattermole challenge to deny Lampard a shot from just 10 yards out.

Carvalho joined Terry in the book on 73 minutes for a foul on Zaki that had more than a hint of dive about it.

The half drifted on without chances for either side. Into the last ten minutes, Scolari was all set to bring on Belletti until Ashley Cole suddenly indicated a problem with his thigh. It was sit down Juliano, stand up Wayne as Bridge became the natural replacement.

Possession was being gifted too easily, Wigan looking to exploit that with diagonal balls, hoping to find the full-backs caught forward.

They were to have one more good effort, substitute Kapo firing a shot in low. Cech, along with Deco Chelsea's man-of-the-match, was equal to it with a full stretch save.

When the story of the season is written, this game won't warrant too many lines. It was however our fifth straight win in this stadium and enough to remain as early leaders.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole (Bridge 82); Essien; Deco, Ballack, Lampard, J Cole (Kalou 57); Anelka (Malouda 88).
Scorer Deco 3
Booked Terry 13, Carvalho 73.

Wigan (4-4-2): Kirkland; Melchiot (Camera 84), Boyce, Bramble, Figueroa; Valencia, Palacios (Kapo 79), Cattermole, Koumas (De Ridder); Zaki, Heskey.
Booked Cattermole 48