HERE WAS the case against video evidence. That Chelsea, kings of the cups, ruled in another knock-out tie is hardly a talking point, but two incidents en route to them winning certainly were. The first was the goal by which Nicolas Anelka, that £15m stopgap, set up the victory, the second involved an off-the-ball incident between Michael Brown and Claude Makelele that had Chelsea manager Avram Grant and his minions shooting to their feet as if an electric current had just passed through their seats. Wigan’s outrage concerning the first instance matched Chelsea’s over the second, though action replays, both times, provided confusion, not clarification.

The one certain thing about Anelka’s goal was that his finish was that of a thoroughbred. On a day when the defending was good and the pitch as rutted as a corrugated iron roof, chances were difficult to create and what was needed were ruthless scorers. Anelka, filling in for Didier Drogba and already looking brilliant business by Grant, again proved to be one. Juliano Belletti lofted a pass and Anelka ran beyond Wigan’s backline to beat Chris Kirkland to the ball. On the volley and with a beautifully judged touch he toed it past the goalkeeper, but had he been offside? The pictures appeared to show that he was level with Paul Scharner, the last defender, and therefore legal and Steve Bruce did not demur. But the cameras were at the wrong angle to be conclusive. Scharner was probably wrong to berate the linesman, but it was just possible that he was not.

That made it 1-0 to Chelsea, which became 2-0 when Shaun Wright-Phillips converted a breakaway and 2-1 thanks to Antoine Sibierski’s late but brilliant riposte. Brown and Makelele tangled just after Anelka scored. The Wigan midfielder moved to block off his opponent as Chelsea were moving upfield. Brown put an arm out and the Frenchman ran into it, taking a blow on the chin, but was Brown’s action a deliberate effort to elbow someone or was the contact acciden-tal? Once more, replays left matters open to interpretation. Why ask the cameras questions if they cannot provide answers? The brigade who want football to become like an American sport, with constant interruptions so TV can pass judgement, should think carefully. Grant seemed a little embarrassed, in hindsight, at how his bench had reacted over Makelele, claiming it was because Uriah Rennie, the referee, did not stop the game quickly and they were concerned Makelele might have sustained an injury, having just returned from nasal surgery.

“There was no incident as far as I’m concerned. I asked everyone on their bench individually: did you see it? None of them had,” Bruce scoffed. As for Anelka’s goal, his opinion was “he wasn’t offside. For three days we’d been talking about how Anelka always plays on the shoulder of the last defender, always on the brink of offside and it was our own fault. You can’t take risks with him”.

Where television’s influence was discernable and definitive was in the size of the crowd.

Even by Wigan’s standards, 14,166 was poor given admission prices were reduced and the FA Cup holders were in town. The lack of interest was a pity as for once two Premier League managers treated a cup tie with absolute seriousness. Bruce and Grant used their strongest XIs, Grant declining to rest any of the side who overcame Everton in Wednesday’s Carling Cup semi-final.

Wigan limited Chelsea through their workrate and pressing. While Grant may have had Shaun Wright-Phillips in the hole and Joe Cole pushed so far up he was sometimes Anelka’s strike partner, but his players never forgot their defensive duties.

How Bruce needs his new arrival, Marlon King, because Emile Heskey had to shoulder too far much in Wigan’s attack. Until Anelka scored, Heskey had produced the most penetrating moment, turning Alex and angling a pass through to Mar-cus Bent, who reacted slowly and Wayne Bridge cleared. At 1-0 down, Bruce brought on Jason Koumas and Sibierski in search of greater creativity and the pair combined for a glorious goal, Sibierski swivelling and beating Petr Cech with a volley.

It would have been worthy of saving any game but this was now beyond Wigan. As Wigan pressed at 1-0, Anelka found Wright-Phillips after Kevin Kilbane’s slip and he converted calmly. Three goals, two controversies, one winner - and no help from the TV cameras.

Player ratings: Wigan: Kirkland 6, Melchiot 7, Bramble 6, Scharner 6, Kilbane 6, Valencia 7, Brown 6, Palacios 7 (Sibierski 77min), Taylor 6 (Koumas 58min, 6), Heskey 7 (Aghahowa 84min), Bent 5

Chelsea: Cech 7, Belletti 7, Alex 6, Carvalho 7, Bridge 7, Sidwell 6, Makelele 6, Cole 6, Wright-Phillips 6, Malouda 5 (Ferreira 80min), Anelka 7 (Pizarro 90min)

Star man: Wilson Palacios (Wigan)

Scorers: Wigan: Sibierski 87

Chelsea: Anelka 53, Wright-Phillips 82

Yellow cards: Wigan: Bramble, Scharner, Palacios, Aghahowa

Chelsea: Alex, Carvalho

Referee: U Rennie

Attendance: 14,166