Planet Swans ArchivesIf Sky wanted a thriller for their Sunday afternoon game they got one, particularly when the team reverted to a more familiar formation five minutes before the break which disrupted the Chelsea flow that was threatening at the time to overrun us.
Spurred on by a passionate crowd in the second half, the Swans could have held on for the win but Costa – arguably lucky to still be on the pitch – scored an overhead kick to even the scores up and leave Manchester City with the only 100% record remaining in the Premier League.
It always amazes me when you watch Chelsea how Costa stays on the pitch and after a running battle for most of the afternoon with Fernandez and Amat he did nothing to endure himself to the crowd with a dive under challenge from Fabianski and a strong challenge on Naughton – the like of which had seen Amat booked for a similar on Costa himself.
But, yet again, he gets away with it week on week and we paid the price this time around as he scored his second of the game to secure the point for the visitors.
Costa had capitalised on the hesitation in the Swans defence in the first half to give the visitors the lead and it was no more than they deserved at that point with the unusual Swans formation – three at the back and wing backs – struggled to settle and hold onto the ball giving Cortois one of the easiest 45 minutes he will have all season long.
It took 40 minutes for Guidolin to admit that he got the formation wrong and make the change – bringing on Barrow for Taylor before the break. And the substitute was heavily involved in the equaliser when it came just before the hour mark.
A Swans breakaway saw the ball reach Barrow on the left and he had the wisdom to play the ball across for Sigurdsson who was felled by the Chelsea keeper leaving the referee no alternative but to point to the penalty spot.
Gylfi himself got up to slam home the penalty and bring the Liberty to its feet as the Swans were back on level terms.
It got better three minutes later when Fer dispossessed Cahill thirty yards out – a challenge that could easily have been given as a foul – and ran through to slide the ball under the Chelsea keeper and into the back of the net to give us the lead.
Chelsea were stunned but the Swans were on the front foot and as Hymns and Arias rang out around the Liberty the Chelsea fans were silent as they contemplated a first defeat of the season.
That was until Costa’s late intervention of course. It was not just the decision though to let him get away with plenty on the day but the fact that every time a Swansea player went near a Chelsea one the referee deemed it to be a free kick and some of the theatrical screams of the visiting players would not be out of place in a school. But then again, it’s not unusual to see this happen when they are concerned.
All in all though an excellent point for the Swans and a bonus one that maybe we didn’t expect. What we need to do now is take the positives from the game and use them in the Southampton one next week and beyond.
Well done.
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