Chelsea were looking to put an end to a run of four games without a win when Wigan visited Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
The Latics were boasting an even worse record having failed to pick up three points in the league since November and they're still searching for a win after Chelsea eased to a 4-1 victory.
Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.
Afternoon folks. We're just waiting for the teams to be announced. Shouldn't be long.
While we wait let's take a quick look at how things are going at White Hart Lane. Spurs and Newcastle kicked off at 12.45pm and they're currently in the 63rd minute. It's 1-1 at the moment after first-half goals from Gareth Bale and Yoan Gouffran. Click here to join Liam Apicella for the final half-hour or so of that one.
WIGAN TEAM NEWS: There's no place for the returning Arouna Kone who had been away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
WIGAN XI: Al-Habsi; Stam, Scharner, Caldwell, Figueroa; Maloney, McArthur, McCarthy, Beausejour; Espinoza, Di Santo
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS: Juan Mata is dropped to the bench.
CHELSEA XI: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole; Luiz, Lampard; Ramires; Oscar, Hazard; Torres
Mata's absence is the most notable change from either side. Benitez actually makes four changes to his team, with Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres replacing John Terry, Ryan Bertrand, Demba Ba and Mata.
GOAL AT WHL! Spurs retake the lead and it's Bale again. Join Liam for the final 10 minutes here.
Roberto Martinez's lineup is unchanged from last week's draw with Southampton. Kone does make the bench but he can't depose Franco di Santo or new boy Roger Espinoza up front.
Here's @OptaJoe on Twitter with a message that doesn't bode well for Chelsea fans: "1 - Chelsea have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games without Juan Mata in the starting XI. Benched."
Mata has been Chelsea's best performer all season and it's either a show of confidence or a touch of madness from Benitez.
Lampard has also been playing superbly recently and he manages to retain his place in the Chelsea midfield. He has scored 10 goals in 12 league starts this season and last week became the first player to score 10 or more goals in 10 consecutive Premier League seasons.
Aha! There is a reason behind Mata's slide to the bench. Chelsea have tweeted: "Juan Mata has a virus so is named among the Chelsea substitutes today."
FULL-TIME AT WHL: Spurs win it 2-1 thanks to a Bale brace. He should have had a hat-trick at the end but missed a sitter before being kept out by a sprawling Tim Krul.
Click here to read our match report on a win for Spurs that puts them above Chelsea into third place.
Spurs are managed by former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas and they're now two points ahead of the Blues. A Chelsea win is the only way Benitez's side can go back into the top three.
More from @OptaJoe: "10 - Andre Villas-Boas is on the longest unbeaten run of his Premier League managerial career – 10 matches (W6 D4). Rhythm."
There's plenty of Bale buzz on Twitter after his performance today. Dietmar Hamann says: "Gareth Bale is getting better and better...hard to see Spurs keeping him if they don't get into CL ...the best player in PL at the moment."
Back to today's game at Stamford Bridge and it's time for my prediction. Even with that awful stat concerning Mata (they've only won one of 10 when he's started on the bench), I'm still expecting the Blues to romp to victory today. 4-0 to the hosts, Torres to score two, Oscar one and Lampard one. You heard it here first.
REFEREE WATCH: Today's man in charge is Mike Dean. Kickoff moments away.
KICKOFF: Wigan, in all-black, get us underway.
Early cross from Beausejour but Cech is alert to come out and claim. The Czech goalkeeper has overcome a broken finger to play today.
Torres nutmegs Figueroa to find an open Ramires on the right. His shot is blocked by Caldwell and nothing comes of the resulting corner.
There's four other Premier League games that have just kicked off and I'll keep you posted on all the goals.
SAVE! So close to a Wigan opener. Espinoza breaks clear and sends it out to Maloney on the left. He cuts inside and manages to dig out a cross that is collected at the back post by Di Santo who squares up Cahill and sidesteps to earn space but his shot is kept out by the feet of Cech.
SAVE! It's all Wigan at the moment! This time it's Maloney himself who tests Cech, popping up on the right and moving it on to his left foot. His curler looks destined for the far corner but Cech's arms are just about long enough to push it away.
Goal at the Liberty Stadium! The first goal of the 3pm kickoffs comes at Swansea and it's a long-awaited goal for Michu, who had gone six games without finding the net. The Swans lead rockbottom QPR 1-0.
A one-two between Hazard and Oscar almost breaks fortuitously for the former but Figueroa just gets back to clear in time.
Beausejour gets in behind Azpilicueta down the left and his cutback is just a few inches ahead of Espinoza who'd been left all alone 15 yards out.
JUST WIDE! Lampard whips in a free kick from the left and Torres gets up well to flick goalwards. The header flashes wide and would have gone in if it had been on target as Al-Habsi had slipped and had no chance of stopping it.
CHANCE! Torres is given way too much space to collect Ivanovic's pass on the edge of the area but his final shot is weak and straight at Al-Habsi after he had turned Caldwell and Scharner inside out.
Oscar was Brazil's best player against England on Wednesday and the young playmaker has just stung the palms of Al-Habsi with a well-hit 25-yarder.
Another for Swansea! The Welsh side lead 2-0 against QPR thanks to Angel Rangel's goal.
Maloney has probably been Wigan's brightest player so far and he almost sets up a chance for Di Santo but isn't quite on the same wavelength as the Argentinian.
The heavens have opened in West London and we have a brief break in play as Caldwell winces in pain after a collision with Torres. The Scot will be OK to continue.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Wigan (Ramires)
Classic counter-attacking football from Chelsea. Luiz picks up the ball in the middle and sends it forward for Torres who flicks it through first time for Ramires. The Brazilian bears down on goal and finishes beautifully into the near top corner.
CHANCE! Chelsea are pushing for a second now and they win a corner after a goalmouth scramble that Oscar takes short. The youngster gets it back and works some space before whipping over a cross that is inches from the head of Ivanovic.
SAVE! What a stop from Al-Habsi! Mr Energy (Azpilicueta) bombs down the right and whips over a perfect cross for Torres from the byline. The Spaniard meets it powerfully and it looks to be heading into the top of the but Al-Habsi instinctively sticks an arm out to push it over.
Lampard lets fly from long range but doesn't quite catch it and it bobbles a yard or so wide. We've seen virtually nothing from Wigan after their encouraging start to the match.
Goal for Arsenal! The Gunners take the lead at Sunderland through Santi Cazorla.
David Luiz loves getting forward when he can but he needs to shoot better than that! He's a bit off balance when shooting and it's caught by someone way back in the stand.
If you quickly give us a manual refresh you'll be able to see a picture of Ramires tucking home the goal above.
CHANCE! Maloney once again is the architect as Wigan create a rare chance. The Scot swings it over from the right and his cross is just ahead of Di Santo before Azpilicueta heads it away from Espinoza waiting at the back post.
Azpilicueta is yet to score in a Chelsea shirt and he's just had a decent chance to open his account. Luiz slid it in to him on the right and he foxed the Wigan defence by feinting onto his right foot but couldn't keep his shot down.
SHOT! Lampard, with his back to goal, lays it off to Oscar and he hits it first time looking for the far corner but just overdoes it and it flies over.
HALF-TIME: Chelsea 1-0 Wigan
The Blues have a narrow lead thanks to Ramires's lovely finish. Benitez's side have looked far more dangerous but don't count Wigan out of this.
If Wigan are going to get anything out of this then you have to feel that it will come from the creativity of Maloney. If little changes at the start of the second half, I'd expect Martinez to bring on the pace of Kone to worry Ivanovic and Cahill.
Here are the other half-time scores from the Premier League:
Norwich 0-0 Fulham
Stoke 0-0 Reading
Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal
Swansea 2-0 QPR
Benitez will be hoping that Chelsea close this one out soonish so he won't have to bring on the likes of Mata to save the day.
Both sides are back out, no changes from either manager at half-time.
KICKOFF! Chelsea get the second 45 underway.
Lampard finds Ramires with a lovely pass and the Brazilian takes it in his stride and moves in on goal. However, his second touch is far too heavy though and Scharner clears the danger.
Di Santo turns nicely on the edge of the area but slices his shot horribly wide.
UPDATE: QPR have pulled one back against Swansea as half-time substitute Bobby Zamora reacts quickest.
Espinoza's free kick from the left is a good one and Scharner wins the header with his back to goal, flicking it straight at Cech.
Brilliant play from Di Santo to beat his man down the right and he manages to get a cross in before the ball goes out but it's too strong for Figueroa arriving at the back post.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Wigan (Hazard)
That should be that. The ball is pinged out to Azpilicueta on the right and he cuts onto his left and squares for Hazard who shoots low and Al-Habsi can't get down to make the save.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Wigan (Maloney)
"That should be that," oh how wrong I was! Wigan half the deficit straight away as Maloney breaks the offside trap and rounds Cech before finding the net from a tight angle.
WIGAN SUB: Martinez injects some pace by putting on Kone for Espinoza. Di Santo and Kone have linked up well before, can they spark a Wigan comeback here?
UPDATE: Swansea have restored their two-goal lead and now lead QPR 3-1. Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson has been sent off for a second bookable at Sunderland.
BOOKING! Scharner is booked by Dean for tugging back Oscar who was looking to break away.
JUST WIDE! Brilliant close control from Lampard inside the area and his left-foot shot rolls past Al-Habsi but not inside the far post.
Mesmeric feet from Oscar sees him escape the attentions of three Wigan defender. He tries to lift it over the top for Ramires but can't squeeze it through.
Luiz, with about his 10th shot, finally tests Al-Habsi but it's a comfortable save for the Omani. Benitez is still yet to make a change for Chelsea.
UPDATE: Michu has scored a double and Swansea now lead QPR 4-1.
Big penalty appeal from the Wigan players. Kone laid the ball to Stam and his shot from just outside the area struck Cole's hand but it was from point-blank range and would have been extremely harsh against the Englishman.
CHELSEA SUB: Mata is introduced for Oscar.
YELLOW! Figueroa is cautioned for not doing a lot there. He kind of ran into Ramires but it was hardly intentional.
With 10 minutes left this is far from over. Will nerves get the better of Chelsea?
Excellent footwork from Kone as he keeps ahold of the ball and manages to get a shot away. He hits it well but it's too close to Cech.
WIGAN SUB: Dave Jones takes the place of Ronnie Stam.
Maloney's shot is blocked by Cole and the left-back does well to calmly shepherd back the loose ball to Cech. Cahill is struggling for Chelsea and will come off soon I think.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-1 Wigan (Lampard)
He scored a peach against Newcastle last week, a beauty for England in midweek and now Lampard seals the win today with a crisp strike. Hazard played the ball back to the edge of the area and Mata dummied it to give Lampard the space to hit it low first time past a helpless Al-Habsi. Game over.
CHELSEA SUB: Marko Marin will come on for a couple of minutes in place of Hazard.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-1 Wigan (Marin)
Icing on the cake for Chelsea as Marin dives in to head home after Al-Habsi had parried away Azpilicueta's fierce drive.
CHANCE! Almost a fifth for the Blues as Al-Habsi again can't push a shot away from danger. Ramires's strike falls to Torres but he's denied by a second save from Al-Habsi.
FULL-TIME: Chelsea 4-1 Wigan
A fairly comfortable afternoon for Chelsea then. It's a first win in five for the Blues as goals from Ramires, Hazard, Lampard and Marin seal the points. They retake third place from Tottenham and are now four points behind Man City who face Southampton in the evening kickoff.
It's another defeat for Wigan and their nasty winless run goes on - the Latics haven't won a league game since November 24. They remain in the bottom three but teams around them have also lost so they're still two points from safety.
