Chelsea crush Swansea with Costa hat-trick

Chelsea 4 (Costa 45’ 56’ 67’ Remy 81’) Swansea 2 (Terry og 11’ Shelvey 86’)

Diego Costa’s hat-trick made John Terry’s early own goal an irrelevance as Chelsea won 4-2 against Swansea at Stamford Bridge.

Costa got his fifth goal of the Premier League season when he headed in from Cesc Fabregas’ corner just before half time. John Terry had earlier put Swansea ahead with an embarrassing slice into his own net from Neil Taylor’s low cross.

Swansea dominated the early stages, pressing Chelsea across the pitch, but Chelsea grew into the game as Eden Hazard drew fouls around the box, and the pressure ultimately told with regular goals from Costa.

In the second half, Costa gave Chelsea the lead with a simple tap-in after incisive approach play from Fabregas, and poached another on 67 minutes. His replacement, Loic Remy, got the fourth before Jonjo Shelvey’s consolation. Chelsea are now the only side with a 100% record left in the league, breaking Swansea’s today with their victory. Few sides look likely to stop them.

KEY EVENTS

11’ TERRY OWN GOAL – John Terry scores an own goal. Ki slips in a great pass for Taylor, past the offside Gomis. He slides the ball across the six yard box, but Terry sticks his leg out to put the ball into his own goal.

21’ -TERRY MISS – Fabregas crosses from the right for Terry at the back post, but he heads just over the bar.

28’ – COSTA VIOLENCE – It seems like Costa has belted Sigurdsson with his left arm.

33’ – FABIANSKI SAVE – Schurrle curls a dipping shot towards goal that Fabianksi tips over for a corner.

35’ – OSCAR HEADER – Ivanovic sends in a great cross from the right, Costa misses it, and Oscar tries to reach it behind him, but sends the header over.

36’ – OSCAR SHOT – Oscar receives the ball on the left of the box, space opens up in front of him, but his low shot is held by Fabianski.

45’ – COSTA SCORES – Costa has yet another goal. Fabregas curls in the corner, it lands on Costa’s head, and he has an easy header low into the corner.

52’ – COSTA MISS – Costa has a shot deflected just over the bar after Ivanovic catches it by sticking out a leg.

56’ – COSTA SCORES – Costa scores again. Fabregas gets to the six yard box, pulls a pass back for Costa, who simply flicks the ball into the goal.

67’ – COSTA SCORES – Ramires scuffs a shot towards goal that turns out to be a brilliant ball for Costa, and he fires in at the near post.

81’ – REMY SCORES – Hazard slaloms from the midfield, all the way to the right of the box. He jinks, passes to Oscar, and Oscar squares for Remy to drill into the corner.

86’ – SHELVEY SCORES – Shelvey splits the defence, and slots in calmly past Courtois.

KEY STATS

Diego Costa has now scored seven goals in four matches for Chelsea, and continues his record of scoring in every PL match he has played for them.

Chelsea have never lost to Swansea in the top flight, in six meetings, home and away (W4 D2). They are currently on a three match winning streak, since a 1-1 draw in Swansea on 3 November 2012.

Chelsea have gone on to win the last four PL home matches where they conceded the opening goal – the last opposing side to net the first goal in a PL match at Stamford Bridge & go on to win was QPR with their 1-0 away win in Jan 2013.

Diego Costa is the first player to score seven PL goals in his opening four matches for a side in PL history.

TALKING POINT

Chelsea are the clear early favourite for the Premier League. They do have concerns with occasional defensive weakness, but despite that remain stronger than most the competition. In attack, they currently have the most potent attacking partnership with Costa and Fabregas, and Hazard looks to be approach his best form again.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Diego Costa (Chelsea): Perhaps fortunate to escape unpunished for appearing to lash out at Gylfi Sigurdsson early in the game, he was everything Fernando Torres failed to be for Chelsea. Alert, lucky, confident and reliable.

PLAYER RATINGS

Chelsea: Courtois 6, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 6, Terry 6, Azpilicueta 6, Fabregas 7, Matic 6, Schurrle 6, Oscar 6, Hazard 8, Diego Costa 8. Subs: Ramires 7, Remy 7, Salah 6.

Swansea: Fabianski 6, Rangel 5, Amat 5, Williams 5, Taylor 6, Ki 6, Shelvey 6, Sigurdsson 6, Dyer 6, Routledge 6, Gomis 6. Subs: Fernandez 6, Montero 6, Bony 6.