Avram Grant refused to get carried away as Chelsea closed in on the Premier League's top two after an impressive 2-0 victory at struggling Wigan Athletic. Goals by Frank Lampard and Juliano Belletti ensured the Blues moved three points behind leaders Arsenal, who had drawn 2-2 with second-placed Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the day.

Chelsea have now won their last seven league and cup games. Not only that but Grant's side are in rampant scoring form having netted 12 in their last three outings. If that was not impressive enough this was their third straight away win in the league without conceding.

They will head for Germany to face Schalke in the Champions League on Tuesday with confidence sky high. Yet Grant is keeping his feet firmly on the ground. Asked whether the result at Arsenal had influenced his team's performance, Grant said: "Our eyes were only on this match - no one elses.

"We won and played well - especially in the first half. We scored two goals and could have had more. Only what we do is important. Not what any one else does."

SWP makes the difference
The inspiration behind's Chelsea's latest win was Shaun Wright-Phillips. It was the England international's first Premier League start under Grant and he made sure he took his opportunity. Wright-Phillips was involved in both of his side's goals as stunned Wigan were left at a two-goal deficit inside the opening 20 minutes at the JJB Stadium.

Wright-Phillips might have had a goal himself, but he was denied by Chris Kirkland in a one-sided contest which offered conclusive evidence that Chelsea are a genuine title force.

"I thought Shaun was very good," added Grant. "We have a big squad and we can't play every player all the time. Any player who is not on the pitch will be needed at one stage or another. But Shaun came in and took his chance by playing very well."

The last two meetings between the two sides at the JJB Stadium had seen Wigan lose to last minute wonder goals, but this was over as a contest inside 20 minutes. By then Chelsea had established a commanding 2-0 lead thanks to sloppy defending by the struggling hosts and some clinical finishing by the visitors.

The Londoners were ahead in the 11th minute through Lampard. Clearly not satisfied with his midweek hat-trick against Leicester City in the League Cup, Lampard beat Chris Kirkland from ten yards after a delightful pass by the eye-catching Wright-Phillips.

Wright-Phillips made the most of his rare Premier League start and was involved in the second goal seven minutes later when he supplied a pass to Belletti, who went on a powerful run and, with the Wigan defence backing off, dispatched a sensational 25-yard effort into Kirkland's top corner.

Wigan improved after the break but they had left themselves too much to do. Wigan have now lost their last six league games and it does not get any easier for them. After next Sunday's game at Tottenham Hotspur their next top flight game is at Arsenal, before a tricky home game with Sven Goran Eriksson's Manchester City on 1 December.

Manager Chris Hutchings, a former Chelsea player, said: "Chelsea are one of the top teams in Europe, but we left ourselves with a mountain to climb.

"I think people know the injuries we have had and when everyone is fit and settled we will be a lot stronger. We are positive and remain positive."