Jordi Gomez earns Wigan a 1-1 draw against Chelsea
Jordi Gomez stunned Chelsea on Saturday, scoring an 88th-minute equalizer to earn struggling Wigan a 1-1 draw against the Premier League title hopefuls.
Monday's victory over leader Manchester City on Monday had put the Blues back in the title race but they created little against Wigan until Daniel Sturridge tucked away Ashley Cole's pass in the 59th minute.
That looked likely to settle things until goalkeeper Petr Cech fumbled a weak effort from Hugo Rodallega and Gomez guided the ball into an empty net for his fourth goal in five games.
''It is a disappointing result,'' Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said. ''It was a hard-fought game with many chances on both sides, maybe more from Wigan. They fought hard to get the result here.
''I think Wigan had the momentum and the crowd was behind them and they got the goal they deserved - 1-1 was a fair result.''
Chelsea scored six goals in last season's corresponding fixture but the Latics have shown encouraging form in recent weeks and had the better of the game.
Wigan players felt they should have had a penalty when Branislav Ivanovic pulled his left arm across his body and into a shot from Victor Moses, but the referee was unmoved.
Gomez tried his luck with a volley that went just the wrong side of the post before Cole was allowed to run into the Wigan half and pick out Sturridge with a diagonal ball.
The striker took the ball down with one touch on the right of the area before lashing it in.
But Wigan committed more men forward and Figueroa's low shot from the edge of the box was heading into the far corner before Cech got a hand to it.
But the keeper later failed to hold a poke toward goal from Rodallega and Gomez turned the ball into an empty net.