We just don’t have average, run-of-the-mill, uneventful games do we? And I suspect we’re all loving it really.
From the minute the team sheet comes out now, there’s a different feel to Chelsea – maybe not the ‘we’re going to beat everyone 24-0’ feel, more of a ‘we have no idea what’s going to happen’ feel – and it’s a good feeling.
Andre Villas-Boas and make no mistake about it, this change is down to him, has brought that difference to Chelsea. He’s young, ambitious and he has the balls for the job. Where Ancelotti was an affable stalwart to Mourinho’s rebel , Andre Villas-Boas sits nicely in the middle somewhere.
His team sheet clearly isn’t one that cares much for the historical (or hysterical) and whilst he doesn’t strike me as someone who wants centre-stage before, after or during every game, he’s not going to have the piss taken out of us either. I like that – and I like him.
Anyway, on to the game and it was pretty uneventful to start with. We had a bit of a stroll and Swansea seemed happy enough to tag along behind us, but we looked ok. In fact, our midfield looks better than its former ‘ok’ state I’m very happy to say, it just didn’t have that much to do for the first 20 minutes and we eased ourselves into a semi-stride.
Just before the half hour, our clever little signing of the summer did what he’d clearly been brought in to do, providing Fernando Torres with the sort of service he can only score from – and our under fire Spaniard duly obliged with a turn and shot that made it two goals in two games.
Fired up from his goal, Nando went on to supply the ball that saw our second goal, courtesy of an increasingly impressive Ramires, although maybe with a little too much fire in his belly, upended Mark Gower with a Sunday League slide and away he went – literally. Mike Dean being Mike Dean got to wave the red card that keeps him in the papers (not that I’d argue that one) and we were down to ten men for the second game in succession.
Still, we made it to half-time with our lead intact and Petr Cech made it out of his armchair to go in for the break, so all was well after the first 45 – ish!
Second half started with Swansea showing signs of trying to make the extra man count, although to be fair those signs would have been a little closer to flat-lining than vital on a monitor. So, with none of our players feeling generous enough to offer Swansea CPR, we got back on with our game and the totally underrated Nicolas Anelka’s demonstration that there’s more than a bit of life in him yet.
A seriously good game from the Frenchman and despite a goal being no more than he deserved to cap it, the bar refused to crumble under the challenge of his long-range effort. Ramires fared slightly better, getting his second with a skip past Ashley Williams – who grabbed a consolation thanks to some set-piece defending guaranteed to raise more than the odd ‘tut’. But it really was no more than a consolation, particularly when Didier Drogba (who could be forgiven for thinking the ovation on arrival was a warm welcome back rather than the intended recognition of a class day for the departing Anelka), spanked in the fourth to mark his return and the end of a satisfying day for us.
Overall then, we continue to improve under the new regime and whilst the press won’t be on about a lack of goals from Nando for a few games and will be on about a lack of composure, he’s done himself no harm as far as I can see. He’s on the way back, he’s committed – and he’s Chelsea!
TEAMS
CHELSEA: Cech, Cole, Bosingwa, Terry, Ivanovic, Ramires, Mikel, Meireles (McEachran, 83), Anelka (Drogba, 79), Mata (Malouda, 60), Torres
SWANSEA: Vorm, Taylor, Monk, Rangel, Williams, Dyer (Dobbie, 72), Britton (Routledge, 45), Gower, Allen, Sinclair, Lita (Graham, 59)
GOALS
CHELSEA: Torres 29, Ramires 36, 76, Drogba 94
SWANSEA: Williams 86
Blue is the colour
