Fabregas fires Chelsea to crucial victory to keep European dream alive

Going into Saturday's match at the Liberty Stadium, both teams were searching for very different targets. The 'Blues' were hoping to overturn a five-point deficit to fourth-placed Tottenham to reach the Champions League places whilst Swansea City needed a big result to extend their gap over the relegation zone. Only one would end up happy.

Chelsea got off to a dream start, breaking the deadlock in the 4th minute through Cesc Fabregas. 

Eden Hazard burst past the Swansea defence before setting up his Spanish team-mate just inside the box. Fabregas then opened his body to curl a beautiful ball past opposing goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to bring up his 50th league goal.

It brought back memories of last weekend's 5-0 thumping to Manchester City for the home side but they rallied well to not become overawed by the situation.

Ki Sung-Yueng and Andy King tried their luck from long-range but neither effort troubled Thibaut Courtois between the sticks as Chelsea went into the break with a one-goal advantage.

 

28 April 2018

The 'Swans' would continue knocking on the door after the interval. Alfie Mawson and Andre Ayew couldn't direct their headers on target as chances seemed to fall few and far between.

Olivier Giroud headed his chance straight at Fabianski but the Frenchman was miles offside and the flag went promptly up before Victor Moses came close as his six-yard effort whistled past the post.

Swansea would then go even closer one minute later. After dancing around some Chelsea defenders, Andre Ayew hit a clean curling effort which went whiskers wide. 

Not even the introduction of Willian and Pedro could kill off the tie but the 'Blues' shape stayed in tact and the home side couldn't find that important equaliser.

The victory means Chelsea move within one point of Tottenham, who play Watford on Monday, and gain two on third-placed Liverpool after their 0-0 draw to Stoke earlier in the day.

As for Swansea, it leaves them in a precarious position just above the relegation zone, one point ahead of Southampton in 18th following their 2-1 win over Bournemouth in what looks to be a nail-biting survival chase.