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A disappointing Chelsea held off a determined Wigan to grind out a win courtesy of Deco’s 25-yard free-kick.

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The midfielder scored after just three minutes when he found the top corner after Lee Cattermole’s handball.

But Wigan hit back and Blues keeper Petr Cech had to pull off smart saves to keep out shots from Wilson Palacios and Amr Zaki.

Chelsea struggled for form but held on for a win as Cech again rescued them by keeping out a late Olivier Kapo strike.

The Blues had steamrollered Portsmouth 4-0 in their season-opener last week and Wigan seemed in danger of a similar fate after conceding an early lead.

Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt may be disappointed at not keeping out Deco’s effort but Chelsea were uninspiring overall and the goal proved a rare moment of quality from them.