Chelsea’s winning run in the Premier League came to an end as they were held to a 2-2 draw at the Liberty stadium by Swansea City. Chelsea had only themselves to blame for not being able to pick up all three points as two rather appalling mistakes gifted two goals to a Swansea side who had been second best throughout the match.
Chelsea, though not at their best, dominated from the start and were duly rewarded with a goal that came from Diego Costa. However, in the second half, Courtois made a mistake as he failed to read a ball coming his way and ended up fouling Gylfi Sigurdsson in the penalty area. It allowed Swansea a way back in as the Iceland international dispatched the penalty. A second mistake from Gary Cahill, who spent too much time on the ball, allowed Leroy Fer to nip it and go on to score, giving Swansea City the lead. Diego Costa saved Chelsea the blushes as he scored from an overhead kick to restore parity at 2-2.
We take a look at some of the talking points of the match.
1. Chelsea fail to land killer blow
For all their possession based football, Chelsea never put the game to bed. Eden Hazard was as busy as ever, but he missed a glorious opportunity to double Chelsea’s lead when his shot was saved by Lucas Fabianski, when he had only the goalkeeper to beat.
Diego Costa missed an opportunity when it looked easier to score. A virtually open goal at his mercy, the ball that was squared to him somehow hit his calf and went across goal.
Had Chelsea had a cushion, it would have been difficult for Swansea to get back into the game.
2. Lapse in concentration turned the game on it’s head
Chelsea took things far too casually as two mistakes saw Swansea change the course of the game within a matter of a couple of minutes. First Courtois’ foul and then Cahill’s mistake could both have been avoided and Chelsea could have cruised to victory if they had not lost their concentration. They paved the way for a Swansea comeback.
3. Costa, apart from his glaring miss, had a fine performance
Diego Costa is back to his old self under Antonio Conte. Against Swansea, he made his usual bursting runs, muscling his way through, and most importantly, scoring two vital goals. His performance will be key in deciding Chelsea’s chances this season. On the field he looked sharp and hungry for goals, and it will be a huge positive for Chelsea if he stays that way.
4. Conte should start Fabregas
Matic is a decent holding midfielder. But with Kante already there, it would make more sense to play Fabregas. The Spaniard’s passing and crossing abilities are much better than Matic’s and he can pick out runs easily. Had he been starting against Swansea, Chelsea may have created more chances. It’s high time Conte gives Fabregas a much deserved start. Matic did not do badly against Swansea, but eventually he was replaced by Fabregas, who had more of an impact.
5. Swansea took the game to Chelsea
Chelsea were cruising at one point but Swansea kept trying. A one goal cushion is never safe no matter how a team is playing, and Swansea went on to show why. They tried hitting on the counter and the moves paid off. They were leading 2-1 at one point and although Costa made sure the spoils were shared, take nothing away from Swansea who refused to give up.
