Swansea have slain a few giants, rolled over for a few others and frustrated the Blues to a 1-0 performance when they met at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea must be ready for whichever version welcomes them to Wales on Saturday.
Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has conceded more goals to Chelsea than any other club. You may not have known that watching these two sides play in November. Chelsea used their 61% possession to take 21 shots, and put 10 on target. Yet they only came away 1-0 victors. For Chelsea the win was part of a positive run to recover from their thrashing in Rome. For Swansea, it was part of their pattern of playing at one extreme or another against the top clubs.
This season Swansea have lost to Manchester City 4-0 and 5-0, to Liverpool 5-0, to Manchester United 4-0 and Spurs 3-0. But they also defeated Liverpool 1-0 and Arsenal 3-1. Those were both in a four-game stretch where the Swans took 10 points off of teams in the top eight. Then the streak ended with a 4-1 loss to 14th place Brighton.
Chelsea must be equally prepared – mentally and tactically – for either bevy of Swans (No, really. Look it up. Bevy.).
They must be ready to grind out a 1-0 win against Fabianski doing another David de Gea impersonation. In that sort of game they have to capitalize on set pieces, look for the ugly goal and recognize that the goal may not be forthcoming from one of their top scorers. Antonio Rudiger scored one of his two Premier League goals for the November winner. Games like that can turn on a Marcos Alonso free-kick (he had two shots from set pieces in the reverse fixture) or Gary Cahill blasting a loose ball into the net from chaos in the six-yard box.
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The Blues must also be ready to enjoy a confidence-building romp. If the goals come easily – either early and often or in a rush after the first one opens the floodgates – Chelsea have to press their advantage without mercy or abandon. They need all the momentum they can generate for the remainder of the season. With the subsequent fixture against Liverpool they cannot afford to have their forwards wondering if they can score. Liverpool harbour no such doubts. Chelsea can expect to concede a few against Mohamed Salah alone. They must be ready to answer with Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata, Willian and Olivier Giroud.
These players should be clamouring to score the next goal for 90 minutes against Swansea. If they have a shot, they have to take it and finish it well. If they do not, they must maneuver into position or pass the ball to someone who can shoot. They cannot hope to do against Liverpool what they do not deliver against Swansea.
The Blues’ offence may have a slight advantage through Swansea defender Federico Fernandez. Fernandez left the last game with a knee injury and has not yet been cleared to play. He leads the team in clearances and has a stronger ground game than his centre-back partner, Alfie Mawson.
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Both teams come into the game looking to make an escape from danger: Swansea from relegation out of the Premier League, and Chelsea from relegation to the Europa League. Desire and desperation often decide such games. Antonio Conte’s men have come on strong in recent weeks, and have no room for lapses.