Chelsea boss Antonio Conte insisted rivals Swansea should have been reduced to 10 men for the physical battering dished out to striker Diego Costa, who proved his side’s saviour during a hotly-contested clash.
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The result ended Chelsea’s 100 per cent start to the season and denied them the opportunity to join Manchester City at the top of the table, while Swansea ended a run of two consecutive league defeats.
“I took the touch away from [Fer], he came through the back of me”.
“I’m pleased because he showed me, he showed his teammates and he showed everyone that he had fantastic behaviour, and it wasn’t easy”.
“I think the defenders know him and sometimes they try to provoke him”. He maybe could have played the ball back earlier to me but you can see Fer hits him twice in the legs and doesn’t get the ball.
On Costa he said: “I want to tell you that after every game you ask me about Diego Costa”.
Chelsea was coasting before 130 seconds of defensive mayhem let Swansea back into a one-sided game, starting with Courtois’ decision to come to the edge of the penalty area to challenge Sigurdsson at the end of a Swansea counterattack.
Chelsea defender Gary Cahill claimed he was the victim of a foul so blatant it could have been seen from the moon in the lead-up to Swansea’s second goal in Sunday’s 2-2 draw.
A spectacular late overhead kick from Costa earned Chelsea a point, although they failed to maintain a flawless start to the campaign.
Within a minute, the hosts went 2-1 up after Leroy Fer raced through to fire past Thibaut Courtois – although replays showed he clearly fouled Cahill in the build-up.
“I think the coach did a great job and our mentality is a winning mentality. It is a pity”.
Chelsea left David Luiz, re-signed from Paris St Germain, on the substitute’s bench, but he may be needed for Friday’s game at home to Liverpool after Terry left the stadium on crutches with an ankle injury. “I was a footballer and this situation is normal”, Conte said, according to his club’s website. “But he is a warrior. He’s a warrior. I’m not anxious”.
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The Argentine defender hesitantly headed the ball to Oscar, whose pass allowed Costa to score with a clinical low finish.
