Fernando Torres' mixed fortunes continued as he found
the net before seeing red for an ugly challenge in Chelsea's
comfortable Premier League victory over Swansea.
Sunday's defeat at Manchester United had seen £50
million man Torres score for only the second time in
his Blues career before producing one of the worst open-goal
gaffes in Premier League history.
He scored today with another fine finish before seeing
red for inexplicably diving in studs first on Mark Gower
in between a Ramires brace, which was followed by Ashley
Williams' consolation and a comeback goal for Didier
Drogba.
But being down to 10 men for more than half a game
for the second time in four days - Chelsea suffered
the same fate in their midweek Carling Cup win over
Fulham - was hardly ideal preparation for Wednesday's
Champions League showdown in Valencia.
Torres' dismissal also meant a three-match domestic
ban and ensured he would once again make headlines for
the wrong reasons, despite beginning to repay his record-breaking
transfer fee in earnest.
Frank Lampard starting on the bench today was also
a talking point, although the midfielder played 76 minutes
on Wednesday night.
He looked certain to start at Valencia, emphasising
that, at 33, he was being held back more and more for
the big games.
Chelsea's bid to close the five-point gap to United
did not begin well, with the hosts outplayed by the
visitors in the opening 15 minutes.
Raul Meireles volleyed over when well-placed and Ramires
had a close-range shot blocked but Chelsea were failing
to replicate the beautiful game Villas-Boas insisted
they had produced last weekend.
Torres was also struggling to repeat his Old Trafford
exploits, where his horror miss marred what was otherwise
his best performance in a Chelsea shirt.
That changed in dramatic fashion in the 29th minute
when Juan Mata chipped a ball over the top and Angel
Rangel played Torres onside, allowing him to swivel
and find the bottom corner.
Mata was needlessly booked for hauling back Rangel,
with Williams close to converting the resultant free-kick.
But Chelsea's scintillating football finally arrived
nine minutes from half-time when a sweeping breakaway
saw Ashley Cole pick out Ramires, who drilled the ball
through Michael Vorm's legs.
But Torres then undid all his good work when he was
sent off three minutes later for a shocking tackle on
Gower.
Referee Mike Dean had no choice but to show red for
the challenge, despite it appearing more clumsy than
malicious.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers, who enjoyed a pre-match
ovation on his return to the club where he was reserve-team
boss for four years, threw on Wayne Routledge for Leon
Britton during the interval.
The visitors laid siege to the Chelsea goal after the
restart as Meireles almost slid the ball into his own
net, the livewire Nathan Dyer saw his shot deflect off
John Obi Mikel and loop onto the crossbar, and Williams
misdirected a header from the resultant corner.
A desperate challenge from Mikel prevented Leroy Lita
converting Rangel's cross and the subsequent corner
was headed goalward by Williams, only for Jose Bosingwa
to clear off the line.
Dyer was booked for felling Anelka as Chelsea broke
and Ramires also volleyed wide before Mata was withdrawn
for Florent Malouda and the fit-again Danny Graham came
on for Lita just before the hour mark.
Anelka almost scored a superb individual goal after
being allowed to carry the ball 25 yards before unleashing
a piledriver against the bar.
Chelsea began to cope with their man disadvantage,
as they had against Fulham on Wednesday, forcing Swansea
to introduce Stephen Dobbie for Dyer.
Garry Monk was booked for tripping Anelka 15 minutes
from time and the 10 men made it 3-0 a minute later,
Ramires too easily cutting inside Williams before passing
the ball beyond Vorm.
Drogba made his long-awaited return from his sickening
head injury for the final 11 minutes as Anelka was withdrawn.
Josh McEachran also replaced Ramires before Swansea
finally netted in the 86th minute, the unmarked Williams
heading home his first Premier League goal from Gower's
free-kick.
Vorm saved well from Malouda, Williams went close to
nodding in his second in stoppage time and Ramires dragged
a hat-trick chance wide before Drogba turned on Malouda's
pass and steered the ball beyond Vorm to add gloss to
the scoreline.
|
