Clinical Costa Clips Swans Wings
Article by Robert WakeFollow e-Chelsea on Twitter here!
Chelsea 4 – 2 Swansea City
Diego Costa 45, 56, 67, Terry (og) 11, Shelvey 86 Remy 81
Diego Costa struck a hatrick to preserve Chelsea’s 100% start, after Swansea had enjoyed the better of the first half at a sunny Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Costa now has seven goals in just four appearances.
Swansea, buoyed by three consecutive wins themselves, dominated long spells of the first period, and took the lead in the 11th minute. Nemanja Matic was dispossessed in midfield, and the visitors quickly switched the ball to the left. Neil Taylor made inroads before crossing into the six yard box, where John Terry, attempting to intercept, could only divert the ball past Thibaut Courtois. With better finishing, The Swans could have been further ahead, with Bafetemi Gomis and Wayne Routledge both going close. Chelsea had been poor, but forced a corner in the last minute of the first half. Cesc Fabregas aimed the ball into the box, where Diego Costa showed great desire to get in front of his marker and head firmly past Lukas Fabianski.
The Blues may have been fortunate to go into the dressing room level, but with Ramires replacing the ineffective Andre Schurrle, and Mourinho switching to a 4-3-3 system, they gained the early momentum in the second period, and it was no surprise when they took the lead on 56 minutes. Branislav Ivanovic and Cesc Fabregas exchanged passes on the left, before the Spaniard picked out Costa’s movement on the edge of the six yard box, and cut the ball back for Costa to calmly finish for his second goal of the game. Swansea had an excellent chance to equalise shortly afterwards, but Gomis squandered the opportunity with just Courtois to beat. It was to prove a costly miss. Costa’s hatrick arrived on 67 minutes, again showing his predatory instincts, reacting quickest to Ramires’ scuffed effort to score at the near post. As he celebrated with his team mates, Diego, Diego, Diego reverberated around Stamford Bridge. Five minutes later, he was replaced by new signing Loic Remy, and the debutant duly opened his account, calmly placing the ball beyond Fabianski from Oscar’s pass. Jonjo Shelvey reduced the arrears with 4 minutes remaining, running onto Wilfried Bony’s pass to shoot past Courtois. It was the least the spirited visitors deserved, but the day belonged to Chelsea and to Diego Costa.
Chelsea; Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas (Salah 82), Oscar, Hazard, Schurrle (Ramires 46), Costa (Remy 72).
Goals: Diego Costa 45, 56 & 67, Remy 81
Swansea; Fabianski, Rangel, Amat (Fernandez 46), Williams, Taylor, Ki, Sigurdsson, Shelvey, Dyer, Routledge (Montero 66), Gomis (Bony 76).
Goals: Terry (og) 11, Shelvey 86. Booked: Amat, Shelvey, Taylor
Attendance: 41,400 Referee: Kevin Friend
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