Sunday 9 August 2015 07:32, UK
Chelsea began their title defence with a 2-2 draw at home to Swansea.
The Blues seemed set for victory after Oscar and Willian scored either side of Andre Ayew's strike. However, Thibaut Courtois was sent off for a foul on Bafetimbi Gomis and the striker levelled from the spot.
Here, we look at five talking points from the game...
Courtois harshly sent off?
Chelsea's hopes of defending their Premier League title took a serious blow just 52 minutes into their opening game of the season. Not only did Thibaut Courtois’ foul on Bafetimbi Gomis lead to a penalty, which allowed Swansea to equalise and deny the Blues all three points, it also saw him sent off, meaning he’ll miss a crunch contest with Manchester City next weekend.
However, while Willian was culpable of playing Gomis onside earlier in the move, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp feels Courtois was harshly sent off for his challenge on the edge of the Chelsea box.
"There’s no doubt at all it’s a penalty - but I don’t think he’s denying him a goal-scoring opportunity," said Redknapp. "I don’t think that’s a red card. I think Chelsea are really unlucky.
"The ball is going away from goal and Gary Cahill can get back on the line. Maybe the referee thought it was dangerous play from Courtois. But I don’t think it was."
Asmir Begovic stepped off the bench to take Courtois’ place in goal and, although he was unable to keep out Gomis' spot-kick, he produced several important stops to save a point for Jose Mourinho’s team. He’ll need to be in similar form at the Etihad Stadium next week.
Chelsea’s defensive concerns
Chelsea had the best defence in the Premier League last season, conceding just 32 goals all campaign. Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta were rightly lauded for their consistency and quality. Yet, on the opening day of the 2015/16 campaign, the same quartet looked strangely below their best.
Swansea were the only team to score twice away to Chelsea last season and they repeated the trick on Saturday. Garry Monk’s team fired 10 shots on target – a total no side has bettered at Stamford Bridge since Opta started collecting that data in 2003.
For Redknapp, the frequency with which the centre-backs were caught out by through balls, and the full-backs’ exposure to one-on-ones should be a real cause for concern.
"Mourinho will be extremely worried by that performance," he said. "I’ve never seen a Chelsea team have so many problems with the ball in behind them.
"There were too many problems for the Chelsea defence today. Next week they’re playing against Sergio Aguero and he’ll get two or three goals, no trouble [if they play like that].
"I thought the defending from Chelsea’s point of view was lax, it wasn’t sharp, it wasn’t aggressive. It’s the first day of the season and we don’t want to get too carried away but in terms of the champions, that was as poor a performance as you could wish to see.
"This is a team they scored nine goals against last year. Today, the body language didn’t seem right. Even when Oscar scored the goal he didn’t celebrate. It seemed very flat."
Costa's fit and firing
A classic Mourinho bluff? There would certainly have been plenty of Sky Sports Fantasy Football managers cursing the Portuguese when Diego Costa was named in Chelsea’s starting XI. After all, for the past week Mourinho had been suggesting a hamstring problem would most likely keep him out.
There seemed little wrong with Costa as he delivered a typically all-action display against Swansea, though. From a thunderous early tackle on Kyle Naughton to a first-half surge into the Swansea box which drew a fine tackle from Federico Fernandez, it was clear Costa meant business.
While there was no decisive goal from Chelsea’s 2014/15 top scorer, he launched into 56 sprints (only Eden Hazard, Willian and Gylfi Sigurdsson made more) and reached a top speed of 34.29km/hr (only bettered by Willian’s 34.42km/hr). Not bad for someone nursing a hamstring problem.
An opening day draw at Stamford Bridge was not the ideal start for Mourinho – but at least his main striker is fighting fit. He'll need him at full gallop against Manchester City next weekend.
Ayew keeps his cool
Andre Ayew’s brother Jordan (now at Aston Villa) may have netted more Ligue 1 goals last season, but Swansea’s new signing showed all the composure of a regular scorer when his chance came against Chelsea.
After his first effort was blocked by Cahill, Ayew kept a cool head and, rather than snatch at the second opportunity, the Ghana international dragged the ball back – taking a lunging Terry out of the equation – before slotting past Courtois.
"If you see the picture before and know what you want to do you have time in the box," Thierry Henry told Sky Sports. "He’s clever, very clever."
During pre-season Swansea boss Monk said Ayew wouldn’t be a ‘one-player saviour’ but credited his team work. If Ayew can regularly stay this calm in front of goal, he’ll take plenty of headlines all for himself this season.
Monk’s men pick up from last season
Last season, Monk – in his first full campaign in charge of Swansea – led the club to eighth position, winning more games and more points in the Premier League than ever before. Their first-ever Premier League point at Stamford Bridge suggests they can go even better in 2015/16.
"This team can go as far as it wants to," Monk told Sky Sports after the game. "It’s just down to belief. Where will that take us? Hopefully it will be an improvement on last season."
It’s a view Redknapp agrees with. "I said before the game they could cause a lot of problems for Chelsea and that’s exactly what they did," he said.
"Garry Monk has done a great job there. You can see the confidence they’re playing with. I love the style of football they play – they’re a credit to the league."
