13/09/2014 14:00 v Chelsea

The Swans suffered their first defeat of the season at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea maintained their perfect start thanks to a hat-trick from Diego Costa.

The visitors started well and took a deserved lead when John Terry turned the ball into his own net after 12 minutes, but the hosts hit back on the stroke of half-time as Costa headed past Lukasz Fabianski from a Cesc Fabregas corner.

Chelsea turned the screw in the second period and took the lead when Costa turned home another Fabregas pass, before the Spaniard grabbed his third of the afternoon soon after from close range.

Substitute Loic Remy added a fourth for the Blues before Swansea pulled one back through a neat finish from Jonjo Shelvey.

Following a minute's applause in memory of Lord Attenborough, who sadly passed away in August, the home side got the game under way at a sun-baked Stamford Bridge.

And after a bright start from the visitors in which Wayne Routledge narrowly volleyed wide, the Swans broke the deadlock after 12 minutes.

Following neat interchange in the middle of midfield, Ki Sung-Yueng broke forward before releasing Neil Taylor in space and the defender's low cross was turned into his own net by Chelsea skipper Terry.

The Swans continued their early dominance as Bafetimbi Gomis twice went close, before Routledge curled a superb effort a fraction wide of the left-hand upright.

Chelsea had to wait until 20 minutes in for their first meaningful effort on goal was Terry headed a Fabregas free-kick on to the roof of the net.

Jordi Amat then picked up the first booking of the afternoon after bringing down Eden Hazard just outside the penalty area, but Fabregas could only fire is effort into the Swans wall as the visitors held firm.

Shelvey also entered the referee's notebook for a foul on Hazard, while Andre Schurrle saw the resultant free-kick tipped over the bar by Fabianski.

And the Polish goalkeeper had to be at his best just three minutes later as he got down low to save well from Oscar.

But just as it looked as though the visitors would head into the break ahead, Chelsea drew level on the stroke of half-time.

From a Fabregas corner from the right, Costa rose highest to plant a firm header past Fabianski from ten yards out.

Both sides made a change at the break, with Ramires replacing Schurrle for the home side while Federico Fernandez was introduced in place of Amat - who had sustained a knee injury - for the Swans.

Chelsea started the second half brightly with Hazard testing Fabianski before the hosts took the lead on 56 minutes.

After a neat interchange on the ]edge of the box between Hazard and Fabregas, the Spaniard's low centre was rifled into the roof of the net by Costa for his second of the afternoon.

The Swans replied well as Shelvey went close from long range before Gomis was sent clear on goal by Routledge but the French striker could only clip his effort over the onrushing goalkeeper and wide of the far post.

That was Routledge's final action of the game as he was replaced by Jefferson Montero with 24 minutes left on the clock.

But it got worse for the visitors just a minute later as Ramires found space on the edge of the box and his low shot was turned home from close range by Costa, as the Spanish international grabbed his first hat-trick in English football.

That would be Costa's final act as he was replaced by Remy for the final quarter of the game, while Wilfried Bony emerged as the Swans' third and final change in place of Gomis.

Remy nearly made an instant impact as he fired over from 20 yards, but the striker didn't have to wait long before he got his name on the scoresheet.

After terrific footwork from Hazard inside the box, his pass found Oscar and he laid it on a plate for Remy who curled home into the bottom left hand corner with ten minutes to play.

However, the visitors didn't give up and they grabbed a goal back with four minutes remaining as Bony released Shelvey with a fine pass and the midfielder tucked the ball past Courtois.

The home side could have added to their tally in stoppage time as Remy and Salah shot wide, but it turned out to be Chelsea's day as the Swans suffered a first defeat of the season.

 

 

CHELSEA: Thibuat Courtois, Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, John Terry (capt), Branislav Ivanovic, Oscar, Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas (Mohamed Salah, 82), Eden Hazard, Andre Schurrle (Ramires, ht), Diego Costa (Loic Remy, 72).

SUBS: Petr Cech, Filipe Luis, Kurt Zouma, Willian.

SWANS: Lukasz Fabianski, Angel Rangel, Jordi Amat (Federico Fernandez, ht), Ashley Williams (capt), Neil Taylor, Ki Sung-Yueng, Jonjo Shelvey, Wayne Routledge (Jefferson Montero, 66), Nathan Dyer, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Bafetimbi Gomis (Wilfried Bony, 76).

SUBS: Gerhard Tremmel, Dwight Tiendalli, Tom Carroll, Marvin Emnes.