Chelsea vs Swansea match report: Diego Costa hat-trick cuts down Swans
Spanish striker makes it seven goals in four games and Rémy scores his first as Chelsea open up three-point gap over rivals at top of the table
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Your support makes all the difference.After Diego Costa's first goal Gary Lineker tweeted that he was 'a beast of a centre-forward'. Indeed he is, but Costa has brain as well as brawn sharing with Lineker the goalscorer's knack of being in the right place at the right time.
He was on the spot three times on Saturday, bringing his tally of Premier League goals to seven in his first four matches. With Loic Remy, on debut, adding another, Chelsea overcame an early John Terry own goal to end Swansea's winning run, maintain their own 100 per cent start, and establish a two-point lead at the Premier League summit. They might not be shifted before May.
“In the first half they were fantastic, in the second half we were fantastic,” said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. “Costa has surprised me. To score seven goals in four games is not normal. He cannot keep that up, but it proves we were right to wait [for Costa] and not buy last summer, or in January. The team was built, and waiting for a striker.”
The quality of this victory was underlined by the form of the opposition. Both teams had started the season with a trio of victories, testament to the benefits of doing transfer business early and so being able to incorporate new players into the team during pre-season. Each were also involved as the deadline approached, but Remy and Federico Fernandez, the respective late purchases, began on the bench.
Post-international break is usually a good time to play teams like Chelsea, who have most of their players involved, but every Premier League team has internationals now and perhaps the most significant change from last weekend, when both teams won by three goals, was by Garry Monk. He rested Wilfried Bony, who had been away in Africa with Ivory Coast, bringing in French international Bafetimbi Gomis for his first start. Gomis led the line well, but would spurn crucial chances. Mourinho made a brace of changes, Andre Schurrle and Oscar replacing Willian and Ramires.
It was the Welsh club which created the early threats and their opening goal was not the shock it must have seemed to those not in the ground. A volley from Wayne Routledge that flew just over showed the danger from the flanks but the warning went unheeded. After Nemanja Matic lost possession Ki Sung-yeung strolled forward before releasing the overlapping Neil Taylor whose low cross was turned into his own net by Terry. The captain was worried by the presence of Gomis but his intervention was needless as Cesar Azpilicueta was in position to clear.
For a while Swansea were rampant and Gomis twice could have doubled the lead. With their fans singing 'we are top of the league' he blazed wide after bursting through then mis-hit a volley having got between Gary Cahill and Terry. When Routledge curled a first-time shot just wide of Thibaut Courtois' goal the home support stirred, urging their team to wake up.
The response was led by Eden Hazard. Jordi Amat and Jonjo Shelvey were booked for fouling him, as Swansea were gradually penned back. Lukasz Fabianski was not however, unduly tested before, amid much wrestling in the box Costa headed in a Cesc Fabregas corner.
This made him the first player to score in his first four Premier League games since Micky Quinn, for Coventry, in 1992 (and Quinn had previously played in the pre-Premier League top flight). There was more to come, much more, but only after Mourinho made a telling tactical switch at the break. He introduced Ramires for Schurrle and sent Oscar wide in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Fabregas and Ramires pushed up on Shelvey and Ki, Costa pressed, and, suddenly Swansea simply could not get out.
The pressure came in waves and it took just ten minutes for the damn to be pierced. It was a lovely goal, a model of quick thinking and movement. Fabregas played a smart one-two with Hazard then cut the ball back for Costa, who had pulled away, to convert. Up in the posh seats Roman Abramovich had a smile as wide as one of his yachts.
Chelsea were dominant, but ten minutes later came a critical moment. Routledge sped down the left and sent Gomis clear. As Courtois advanced he chipped over the keeper, but wide. Two minutes more and it was game over. Ramires mis-hit fell to Costa, played onside by Taylor, and he tucked in his third.
With Wednesday's Champions League tie with Schalke 04 in mind Mourinho brought his £32m man off, to rapturous cheers, and unveiled Remy. It took the £8m recruit just eight minutes to open his account, sweeping home after being set up by Hazard and Oscar. Shelvey, running between Terry and Azpilicueta and onto Bony's through ball, reduced the arrears but nothing could dent Chelsea's joyous mood. “We could not live with their power. They can be champions,” said Monk. It is an increasingly widespread view.
Line-ups:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Fabregas (Salah, 81), Matic; Schurrle (Ramires, h/t), Oscar, Hazard; Costa (Remy, 72).
Swansea City (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Rangel, Amat (Fernandez. h/t), Williams, Taylor; Ki Sung-Yeung, Shelvey; Dyer, Sigurdsson, Routledge (Montero, 66); Gomis (Bony, 76).
Referee: K Friend
Man of the match: Costa
Match rating: 8
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