With nearly thirty thousand supporters packed into the ground, there was a different kind of energy around the stadium.
It was New Year's Day, the first match of another year, and the Wigan supporters had arrived carrying all the optimism that came with it.
Scarves were held above heads, flags moved along the stands, and pockets of blue and white bounced whenever another section of the crowd found its voice.
The fans set the mood and waited for when their players would show themselves.
They had just been treated to a good warm-up, and the excitement for the match to begin was hard to contain.
The waiting turned into songs, as the Wigan fans began to chant the names of their players and, almost as if they'd heard it down by the tunnel, the players began to emerge.
Wigan's blue and white home kit dominated one side of the formation, while Chelsea's 2023/24 away strip filled the other.
