It was fun, the kind of game that definitely showed the English Premier League is back and running again, with the match at Stamford Bridge having it all – goals, cards, red and yellow, and plenty of controversy.
In the end of it all, Chelsea vs Swansea City ended 2-2, with the champions unable to start their title defence with a win against a spirited Welsh side.
Oscar opened the scoring midway through the first half, before Andre Ayew answered back in kind. A Federico Fernandez own goal gave Chelsea the lead again, before Gomis replied from the penalty spot, after inducing a foul from Thibaut Courtois, which saw the Chelsea goalkeeper sent off early in the second half.
Swansea City went into the game, not thinking about staying back and holding on for a draw, but having a go at the champions and making their usually impregnable defence quiver a little.
They did that too, and had Bafetimbi Gomis shown a bit more composure, after running onto a delightful through ball from Jonjo Shelvey, the match would have been 1-0 in Swansea's favour.
But it was not to be and in the 23rd minute, Chelsea went ahead. Oscar had threatened with a couple of whipping freekicks, and this time, from the Chelsea left, he swung in another brilliant one, with the ball missing everyone and creeping into the bottom corner, past Lukasz Fabianski's left hand.
Swansea did not let the goal bother them, though, and six minutes later the match was back level. Gomis rose high to power a header towards goal, with Courtois making a stunning save. The rebound fell to debutant Andre Ayew, who saw his first shot brilliantly blocked by Gary Cahill, but the man who signed on a free transfer from Marseille, would not be denied a second time, getting the ball under control, before coolly slotting it into the back of the net.
Chelsea jumped back into the lead in a minute, as a Willian cross from the left, took a wicked deflection off an unlucky Federico Fernandez, who was outstanding at the back for Swansea otherwise, to loop into the net.
While Swansea kept posing a threat, Chelsea were in the ascendancy for the rest of the first half, even if they failed to find the insurance goal.
In the 53rd minute, though, the game turned again, as Courtois brought down Gomis, who yet again got in behind the Chelsea defence, with referee Michael Oliver pointing to the penalty spot and showing the Belgium goalkeeper a straight red card. There was definitely a foul, and it was right around the line – if it was inside or outside, depends on your perspective – with Oliver choosing to give a straight red, even if Gary Cahill was there behind on the cover.
Gomis stepped up and slotted the ball, sending Asmir Begovic, making his first competitive appearance in a Chelsea shirt, the wrong way, to make it 2-2, to leave the final 35 minutes tantalisingly poised.
Both teams had chances in those minutes, with Gomis even putting the ball once into the net, only for the offside flag to be raised.
Despite both team' best intentions, the match would stay 2-2, giving the two teams a point each.
