Diego Costa and Chelsea theys suits well eachother, and Manchester United return to Premier League with Angel Di Maria welcome Red Devils.
Chelsea 4 Swansea 2: Diego Costa leads Blues smash to Swans
Diego Costa scored a hat-trick and clinched another rousing victory for Chelsea long before the final whistle of an entertaining match in which Swansea gave the home team an early scare and were then blown away by Costa’s goals and the superior skill and power of Jose Mourinho’s team.
Four games, four wins, 15 goals and 40,000 supporters already believing this will be a year to remember.
The catalyst is Costa. He has scored in all of his opening four Premier League games, seven in total, to put Chelsea clear at the top of the table and with the only 100 per cent record in the division.
Is there a cloud on the horizon, though? Reports suggest Costa is managing a hamstring injury and, as soon as the hat-trick was complete yesterday, he signalled to the bench that he wanted to come off.
Mourinho acted instantly. He knows how precious Costa already is, saying: “Yes, I’m surprised by seven goals in four games because that isn’t normal.
“People shouldn’t expect him to keep up that rate but what he’s done shows that Chelsea did the right thing in waiting for him this summer, and not just buy any striker.
“The second half was fantastic for us and we could give the stadium what it wants – to win matches in a beautiful way.”
They certainly did. What cannot be doubted is the enjoyment Chelsea have in their play right now.
The jinking skills of Eden Hazard are a constant delight and the magical passing of Cesc Fabregas is easy on the eye.
Yet, for the first 20 minutes, Swansea controlled this match with some composed passing and fluid movements.
They took the lead when John Terry scooped the ball into his own goal trying to clear a cross from raiding full-back Neil Taylor.
The visitors spurned other chances and it made you realise why manager Garry Monk was named the other day as one of the young wizards of European football according to Italy’s respected Gazzetta dello Sport.
It couldn’t last.
The old chief wizard, Mourinho, solved the problems Swansea were posing by demanding his team press the ball as hard as possible and the game was transformed.
Costa scored the equaliser just before half-time, heading home from a corner with a typical show of bullish strength.
His second came on 56 minutes, a superbly crafted goal with slick passing instigated by Fabregas and finished with a cool left-foot shot.
The hat-trick was completed with another clever finish, anticipating a miss-hit shot by Ramires to tap home.
Costa is a natural goal-scorer. They are gold dust. Bafetimbi Gomis had a superb game holding up the ball for Swansea but when his chances came he fluffed them.
At 2-1 Gomis was sent running clear at Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois but a poor chip was hashed well wide of goal.
In contrast, Chelsea’s new striker, Loic Remy, scored their fourth goal of the game on his debut with an unerring low shot after a scintillating run by Hazard into the box.
Chelsea vs Swansea Match Stats
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 7; Ivanovic 6.5, Cahill 6, Terry 5.5, Azpilicueta 6.5; Matic 6.5, Fabregas 8 (Salah 82 – 6); Schurrle 6 (Ramires 46 – 7), Oscar 7, Hazard 7.5; Diego Costa 9.5 (Remy 72 – 7)
Subs not used: Cech, Filipe Luis, Zouma, Salah, Willian
Swansea (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6; Rangel 6.5, Amat 6 (Fernandez 46 – 5), Williams 5.5, Taylor 6.5; Ki 7.5, Shelvey 6; Sigurdsson 6.5, Dyer 6, Routledge 6.5 (Montero 66 – 6); Gomis 7 (Bony 76 – 6)
Subs: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Carroll, Emnes
Referee: Kevin Friend 6
Chelsea 4 Swansea 2 Match Video
[media id=1104 width=610 height=340]Manchester United 4 QPR 0:A Angel For Red Devils
Angel di Maria responded to Van Gaal’s description that he was the “ultimate team player” by scoring the first and then having a hand in the other three goals as Manchester United finally got their season up and running.
As home debuts go, they do not get much better than this. And it followed a similar performance of one goal and three assists by Di Maria for Argentina during the recent international break when they took some revenge for their World Cup final defeat by Germany.
If he carries on like this, there is little doubt the former Real Madrid star is going to not only live up to his record £59.7million transfer fee but also be a worthy wearer of the iconic No7 shirt worn by George Best, Bryan Robson, Erica Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
From the moment Van Gaal stood sentry-like on the touchline watching intently as his players warm-up you sensed this was going to be the day for his belated first win as their manager.
After a £156m summer spending spree and a dodgy start, United knew they had to deliver and they did so with some style and swagger.
Their passing was quicker and more precise, their movement more fluid and their finishing more clinical with Ander Herrera, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata also on the scoresheet.
A 91 per cent pass rate completion – the best in the Premier League this seaosn – will particuarly delight Van Gaal.
Mind you, they could not have faced more obliging opponents than QPR, who have now lost 13 and drawn three of threir last 16 League and Cup games against United and have not keept a clean sheet aginast them since September 1992.
Rio Ferdinand received a commemerative photograph album of his 14 years at Old Trafford from Sir Bobby Charlton before kick-off but that is the only fond memory he will take from his trip back to his old home.
The only negative for Van Gaal was that their defence creaked alarmingly at times and gifted QPR three golden chances that better sides like Chelsea and Manchester City will surely not pass up.
For all their attempts to break down the massed ranks in front of with them with intricate passing movements, United’s first goal after 24 minutes came as a result of a set-piece and with an element of good fortune about it.
After Clint Hill fouled Herrera, Di Maria curled a free-kick over the top of a crowd of players and into the far corner of the net. Whether it was a cross or a shot was up for debate, but Di Maria claimed afterwards he meant it.
But the second and third goals came as a result of the flowing movement and passing inter-changes that were the hallmark of United’s afternoon.
Di Maria won the ball deep in his own half embarked on a 80-yard run before slipping the ball to Rooney. When his shot was blocked he rolled the ball into the path of Herrera who dispatched a first time right-foot shot in to the bottom corner of the net.
Di Maria, Herrera and Mata were all involved in the build-up to the third scored by Rooney with a low shot that puts him joint third with Thierry Henry in the all-time Premier League scoring list with 175 goals.
For the fourth goal after 58 minutes, it was the pace and accuracy of Di Maria’s low cross that unhinged QPR’s defence. The ball fizzed past a wrong-footed Ferdinand and Mata had the time to take a touch before lifting his shot past Green.
And he should have had another assist when he flicked a delightful pass into the path of Robin van Persie but he sent his volley straight at Green. Green prevented QPR from an even heavier beating by denying substitute Radamel Falcao a debut goal and produced another save to frustrate Adnan Januzaj.
QPR had their moments though. Jonny Evans spared David De Gea’s embarrassment in the first half by clearing Matt Phillips’ goal-bound shot after the goalkeeper had made an ill-advised charge out of his penalty area.
De Gea redeemed himself by saving a shot from Nico Kranjcar with an outstretched early in the second half and was relieved when Eduardo Vargas shot wide of the far post after United were unhinged again late in the game.
Van Gaal however is confident that in time his team will tighten up. And with top four rivals Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool all dropping points again, suddenly the early season table does not provide such grim reading for United followers.
Manchester United vs QPR Match Stats
Man Utd (4-3-1-2): De Gea 7; Rafael 7 (Valencia 67, 6), Evans 7, Blackett 7, Rojo 7; Herrera 8, Blind 7, Di Maria 9 (Januzaj 82, 6); Mata 7 (Falcao 67, 6); Rooney 7, Van Persie 7. Booked: Van Persie.
Goals: Di Maria 24, Herrera 36, Rooney 45, Mata 58.
NEXT UP: Leicester (a), Sun PL.
QPR (4-5-1): Green 6; Isla 5, Caulker 5, Ferdinand 5, Hill 5 (Traore 46, 5); Phillips 4, Fer 5, Sandro 5 (Henry 74, 5), Krancjar 6, Hoilet 6; Austin 4 (Vargas 58, 5).
NEXT UP: Stoke (h) Sat PL.
Referee: P Dowd (Staffs).
Man Of The Match: Angle Di Maria
Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Match Video
[media id=1105 width=610 height=340]Barclays Premier League Match Week 4 Results
Saturday, 13 September
Arsenal 2 Man City 2
Sunderland 2 Tottenham 2
Stoke City 0 Leicester City 1
Crystal Palace 0 Burnley FC 0
Chelsea 4 Swansea City 2
West Brom 0 Everton 2
Southampton 4 Newcastle 0
Liverpool 0 Aston Villa 1
Sunday, 14 September
Man United 4 QPR 0
Monday, 15 September
Hull City 20:00 West Ham
Barclays Premier League Week 4 Table
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