Planet Swans ArchivesIn truth, the 1-0 scoreline probably flattered the Swans as the home side wasted a host of chances to kill the game off probably soon after half time but it made a contest of it although 90 minutes without a shot on target was probably the summing up of a Swans performance.
I guess when you look back to the 3pm kick off time and realise that Michael Laudrup has decided to go into the game without Bony, Chico, Ben Davies and De Guzman and you know that he is focusing more attention on the Aston Villa game with his team selection than thinking he could inflict a first home Premier League defeat on Jose Mourinho.
If, come 5pm on Saturday, we are travelling back from the West Midlands with three points that will look a genius selection. If, we are travelling back having been beaten again then there will be meltdowns in the making with three games against the two Manchester clubs to follow Saturday’s game at Villa Park.
We didn’t waste chances today as we have done in recent weeks we just didn’t really make them and look al of a sudden like a side that is devoid of ideas in the creation department despite holding teams like we did so often last season particularly away from home.
Defensively we played well enough today although quite why Ash decided to go across Hazard’s shot to leave Tremmel unsighted is one question that no doubt will be asked in the changing room at the end of the game but that was the only goal and Tremmel also pulled off some real good stops today to keep us in the game.
Chelsea forced a string of corners in the first half that always seemed to threaten the Swans who definitely lined up looking to contain the threat from the home side in the early stages of the game. When the goal came it was on the back of some serious pressure from the home side through that succession of corners.
At the other end the Swans were left with a couple of long range shots from Shelvey and a close range effort from Vazquez that was tipped over the bar by Cech for a rare Swans corner.
As the second half wore on the Swans came more into the game and you suspected that Chelsea were getting frustrated as the words of Mourinho who believes they are throwing away winning positions too often probably rang in their ears.
More of the game was being played in the Chelsea half although the Swans never really looked like coming back into the game to force a surprise equaliser and take a point back home from their travels.
The game in effect was petering out into a 1-0 home win and so it proved leaving the Swans 11th in the table and Chelsea into the top 2 for now at least.
It is from here that we will see whether Laudrup’s team selection for today was right as we head to Aston Villa on Saturday and what a brilliant way it would be for us to end 2013 on a high with another win on the road. Time will tell.
