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Premier League: Chelsea 2 Swansea 0

SoccerNews in English Premier League 28 Apr 2013

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First-half goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard were enough to secure a 2-0 win for Chelsea against Swansea on Sunday.

The Brazilian struck on 43 minutes while Lampard dispatched his penalty just before the half-time whistle, much to the delight of the home faithful.
Chelsea recalled defender Gary Cahill to the starting XI after a long injury lay-off while Demba Ba replaced Fernando Torres upfront.
Rafa Benitez also chose to move David Luiz into midfield with Branislav Ivanovic dropping to the bench.
For the Swans, Ki Sung-Yueng and Wayne Routledge returned with Nathan Dyer and Luke Moore starting on the bench as a result.
Both sides began brightly but chances were at a premium, with Eden Hazard’s tame long-range effort the only talking point in the first ten minutes.
The action picked up on 15 minutes as Ba stung Michel Vorm’s palms, while a better ball from Wayne Routledge half an hour in would have seen Michu in with a good chance on goal.
As it was, the first half-hour was mostly one of frustration in the final third, with both sides largely limited to long-distance strikes.
However, things improved in the two minutes before time, as a neat exchange between John Terry and Lampard – who arrived as a substitute for Ramires 20 minutes in – set up Oscar to strike coolly past Vorm into the far corner.
Chelsea subsequently piled on the pressure right up until half-time and got their reward when Juan Mata was upended in the area by Leon Britton on 46 minutes.
Lampard stepped up and dispatched neatly to send his side in 2-0 up at the break.
Chelsea continued to apply pressure in the second half, with Hazard teeing up Ba to again test Vorm just before the hour mark.

But Jonathan de Guzman could have brought his side back into the match, and should have done better when through on goal after Lampard gave the ball away.

Mata then should have made it three on 72 minutes but his first touch gave him too much to do as he tried to fire across Vorm, eventually seeing his effort roll just wide.

But Chelsea did not need a further cushion to earn a result which boosted their top-four aspirations while extending Swansea’s winless run to six games.

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