While the scoreline might suggest something of the efficiency of the Jose Mourinho era, this was a Chelsea performance very much in keeping with the more open – and from a neutral point of view, unquestionably more entertaining – style of football that Avram Grant is encouraging. True, they didn’t finish as well as they have in recent games, and perhaps they were guilty of easing off towards the end of a game that they controlled throughout, but with Shaun Wright-Phillips involved in most of their best work, there was a bounce and flair about them which has become pleasantly familiar in recent weeks.

To suggest there was an air of fatalism hanging over the ground before kick-off does little justice to the almost funereal murmur in the stadium concourses beforehand, other than that behind the away end, of course. Wigan stayed up last season largely by dint of beating the teams around them, for that they deserve full credit, but when your record against the Big Four reads played 18, lost 18, their supporters could hardly be blamed for turning up expecting the worst.

Wigan’s recent performances against Chelsea, which included two unfortunate defeats to last-minute goals, should have given them a modicum of hope, which would have been born out by an opening 10 minutes in which they took the game to their opponents, and might have had a reward when Juliano Belletti appeared to hold Marcus Bent as the centre-forward moved into position to meet a cross. Referee Steve Bennett waved away the penalty appeal.

A minute or so later, Chelsea went ahead with a goal of ominous simplicity. It was made by Wright-Phillips, or, more precisely, by his pace and acuity. Selected instead of Joe Cole on the right, the England forward picked up the ball, saw Kevin Kilbane and Denny Landzaat were going to sell themselves, slipped it between them, ran on and hit a low, curling pass into the path of Frank Lampard, whom Wigan had completely failed to pick up.

Running from deep isn’t something Lampard does very often, after all. He beat Chris Kirkland with ease for his seventh goal of the season, and fourth in the Premier League.

The reaction of the Wigan players – you could almost see the belief draining out of them – suggested that might already effectively be game over; seven minutes later there was no doubt about it. Belletti, in possession well inside his own half, side-footed a pass to Wright-Phillips that Kilbane thought was going out only for Wright-Phillips to acrobatically flick the ball back into the full-back’s path.

While the hapless Kilbane continued to appeal for a throw-in, Belletti was allowed to run across halfway and on towards the Wigan penalty area without challenge before, from around 22 yards, hitting a right-foot shot that swerved beyond Kirkland as the goalkeeper dived left.

If that was embarrassing for the home team, the remainder of the first half was torturous. Such was their superiority, Chelsea looked capable of scoring with every possession.

With Jon Obi Mikel breaking up Wigan’s laboured attacks before they troubled his back four, Michael Essien could indulge himself in a more forward role, and Wigan obliged him with plenty of space in which to play. Florent Malouda, Wright-Phillips (twice), Lampard and Didier Drogba, who curled a free-kick inches wide with Kirkland a helpless spectator, might all have increased Chelsea’s lead before the whistle brought relief.

Complacency seemed to be the only danger for Chelsea, the more so when they began the second half by twice giving the ball away in dangerous areas, Wayne Bridge and Mikel the culprits. Jason Koumas, anonymous before the break, began to see more of the ball, and his pass for Bent resulted in another penalty appeal, after he went down under Bridge’s challenge. Again Steve Bennett shook his head, providing the home supporters with a convenient excuse.

Normal service was swiftly resumed, Wright-Phillips beating Kilbane again on the right. Drogba headed the subsequent cross back across goal but for once Lampard was not on hand to finish. Michael Brown, who was at least putting himself about for Wigan, made space for a shot that Alex blocked in front of Petr Cech, and Mr Bennett further endeared himself to the locals by booking Bent for protesting against yet another failed penalty appeal.

The more Wigan pressed, of course, the more room Chelsea had to play on the break. Lampard’s long pass gave Wright-Phillips yet another chance to humiliate Kilbane, but he chose instead to wait, teasing the full-back before chipping a sweet pass back to Lampard. For once, the midfielder failed to connect cleanly enough, volleying the ball gently into Kirkland’s hands.

It was with about 20 minutes remaining that the feeling that Chelsea had unconsciously taken their foot off the gas, holding something back in anticipation of their Champions League match later this week, began to grow. Or perhaps it was just that Wigan picked themselves up for a final effort; either way, Grant responded by taking off Drogba and Essien for Salomon Kalou and Steve Sidwell. Both had chances to make it three before the end, but while the final pass continued to let them down, there was never any questioning the inevitability of a the seventh consecutive win in all competitions. Wigan, by contrast, have now lost their past six in the league, and were half-heartedly booed off the field.

Star man: Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea)

Player ratings: Wigan: Kirkland 5, Melchiot 5, Granqvist 5, Bramble 5, Kilbane 3, Valencia 4, Brown 6 (Skoko, 85min), Scharner 5, Landzaat 4 (Sibierski, 81min), Koumas 4, Bent 5

Chelsea: Cech 6, Belletti 7, Alex 7, Carvalho 7, Bridge 6, Mikel 7, Essien 7 (Sidwell, 75min), Lampard 7, Wright-Phillips 8, Drogba 7 (Kalou, 74min), Malouda 7