Three things we learnt as Chelsea dispatched Swansea at Stamford Bridge

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Swansea greatly improved under Clement

Swansea City were always going to find it tough to come away from Stamford Bridge with anything but a defeat against a Chelsea side that is bang in form, but there were still plenty of positives for the visitors.

Five weeks ago The Swans were lumbered at the foot of the table but Paul Clement has helped turn the tide and has given supporters genuine hope that they can avoid the drop. The current group of players look a completely different team to the one that appeared to be destined for relegation under former manager Bob Bradley and they produced a confident display at Stamford Bridge that frustrated their hosts for long periods.

Fernando Llorente’s superb header just prior to half-time rattled the Premier League leaders and continued to demonstrate why the Spanish striker was attracting the interest of other clubs around Europe during the January transfer window. Then, after the break, the visitors were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after Cesar Azpilicueta appeared to handle the ball inside the box with the score still at 1-1. If the match official, Neil Swarbrick, had pointed to the spot then the second half could have been a much different prospect.

Swansea’s battle against relegation will not be decided by how they perform against the elite of English football at places like Stamford Bridge. However, their next four games will certainly define their future. They face Burnley (home), Hull City (away), Bournemouth (away) and Middlesbrough (home).