Swansea 0-0

Independent:
Swansea 0 Chelsea 0
Sam Wallace

They have lost semi-finals at the death, with furious recriminations against referees; they have lost to dubious goals and they have been eliminated on penalties, but never have Chelsea tumbled out of the last four of a competition in quite such ignominious fashion.
In the end, the night was dominated by the red card for Eden Hazard, dismissed by Chris Foy for kicking a ballboy in a desperate attempt to retrieve the ball from underneath the teenager. Just when life at Chelsea feels like it cannot get any more preposterous, another kid got caught in the crossfire and all hell broke loose.
The boy in question was evidently time-wasting and – if it the Twitter profile for him that was quickly circulated after the game is correct it was not the first time he has done so – but when it becomes acceptable to kick a ballboy then English football really has lost the plot.
The incident in question took place with eight minutes of the match left when the ball had gone into touch behind the Swansea goal-line. The ballboy lay on the ball and after a couple of attempts to prise it out from under him, and understandably frustrated, Hazard briefly took leave of his senses and tried to kick the ball out, catching the boy in his side.
From that point, Foy had little option but to dismiss the player. Cue another Chelsea storm. The ballboy, who it turned out was 17, was taken away grimacing. Later invited to the away changing room he and Hazard, according to Rafael Benitez, exchanged apologies. Allegedly a son of a Swansea director, both father and son agreed that no charges would be pressed. Hazard gave an interview to Chelsea TV to apologise and both parties tried to draw a line under a very unsavoury episode.
Much less easy to explain away was another desperate night in the cup competitions for this Chelsea team and the second cup elimination that interim coach Benitez has presided over since he took charge at the club. Trailing by two goals from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, they never looked like they were going to do enough to reach the Capital One Cup semi-final, much less the team that reached the Champions League final last year.
What a shame for Swansea City that a ballboy had to steal their thunder on such a historic night. They have come a long way from the last time they played Bradford City in 2007 on front of just more than 7,000 fans. On 24 February they will play the League Two side in front of a full Wembley for what would potentially be the first major cup in the 101-year history of the Welsh club.
It was never really in doubt. There was a solid performance from Ashley Williams and Chico Flores, the home side kept the ball easily and in the bleak midwinter, it was Michael Laudrup's team who looked like the old Premier League hands. You would have been hard pressed to remember that Chelsea are one of the kings of knockout domestic competitions, having won the FA Cup four years out of the last six.
You might have expected it would be Chelsea, in pursuit of that two-goal deficit, who would make the running with Demba Ba picked ahead of Fernando Torres and a two-goal deficit to make up. The simple truth was that it was Swansea who were the most threatening before the break and, by the time Hazard was sent off, Chelsea had all but given up.
There were chances in the first half when Cesar Azpilicueta blocked a Wayne Routledge volley from Jonathan de Guzman's cross from the right. Michu, who signed a new four-year deal at Swansea yesterday, had a shot saved by Petr Cech. Gary Cahill blocked another from De Guzman. Chelsea struggled to create anything of note.
Benitez declined to make a change in the early stages of the second half, waiting until just over 20 minutes was left before he sent on David Luiz for Branislav Ivanovic, which did not change the attacking formation. His side had enjoyed possession but barely even anything that constituted a chance. Ba had tried to wrap his leg around that of Ben Davies in the first six minutes to win a penalty but to no avail.
Chelsea were in grave danger of going out with a whimper. As the half developed, Mata played in a more advanced position, as good as alongside Ba, and Chelsea switched to a more orthodox 4-4-2, or 4-2-4 when they had the ball. Even so, they were contained easily enough by Swansea who worked them hard in midfield and were confident dealing with the balls that were crossed into the area.
Once Hazard has been sent off, Benitez finally sent on Torres for Oscar. The lead that had been established at Stamford Bridge with those goals from Michu and Danny Graham never looked in doubt. It was only nine months ago that Chelsea went to the Nou Camp and got a draw against Barcelona to reach the Champions League final but they could hardly have looked further from that side.
At the final whistle, Swansea could have been forgiven a victory lap but they recognised that the celebrations would be best left until they win this trophy and were back in the dressing room quickly. They are one game from a trophy. Chelsea are back wondering where there future lies and hoping there are no disasters against Brentford in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Man of the match Williams.
Match rating 6/10.
Referee C Foy (St Helens).
Attendance 19,506.

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Guardian:

Swansea City have final say as Chelsea's Eden Hazard sees red
Daniel Taylor at the Liberty Stadium

It has taken more than 100 years but, finally, Swansea City know what it is like to reach a major final. They will play Bradford City at Wembley on 24 February while Chelsea, and Eden Hazard in particular, will reflect on another ignominious chapter in the story of a difficult season.
Two-nil down after the game at Stamford Bridge, it was remarkable in the first place that Rafael Benítez's side played with such conservatism, not managing a shot on target until the 73rd minute and barely offering any sense they were in the mood to pull off a dramatic feat of escapology.
Yet their prosaic performance will be swiftly forgotten in comparison with what happened in the 78th minute when Hazard went to get the ball from a ballboy close to the corner flag and ended up being sent off for violent conduct. Put it this way: it will be some story for the schoolyard.
Hazard, in fairness, was entitled to want the ball back quickly while the ballboy seemed hell-bent on delaying him – but what followed was nothing short of extraordinary, culminating in post-match apologies, with South Wales Police getting involved and Benítez leaving his post-match press conference by spreading the blame, saying his player would be disciplined but adding, pointedly, that "society has a big problem".
At one point the boy, from his starting position sitting by the pitch, was lying on top of the ball, playing dead to smother it and showing no signs that he was willing to move. Hazard tried to wrestle it back, one side then the other, realised he was getting nowhere and made the mistake of delivering a short, impatient kick to release it from beneath the teenager. It worked, to a degree. The problem was it also left the boy writhing in apparent pain and clutching his midriff as various Swansea players ran over to remonstrate. Whatever the boy was playing at, regardless of whether he was exaggerating the pain, it was naive from Hazard, to say the least.
The boy, it turned out, was 17 – five years younger than Hazard – and had been employed as a ballboy for six years as a perk of being one of the directors' sons. Embarrassingly for the club, his Twitter account includes a post where he describes himself as "the king of ballboys" who was "needed for time-wasting". He also says it is going to be his last appearance. He may be right.
The pity for Swansea is that an incident this exceptional, under the glare of the cameras, with replays available from countless angles, will inevitably draw attention away from their own story. Michael Laudrup's side played with great organisation and commitment and there were jubilant scenes for a club whose previous success in knockout competitions amounts to two FA Cup semi-finals. Swansea Town, as they were known back then, lost 3-0 to Bolton Wanderers in 1926 and 2-1 to Preston North End 1964. At least Bradford have actually been to a final before, even if it was back in 1911.
"It's a small fairytale," Laudrup said. "What Bradford have done, though, is just amazing. They have beaten three Premier League sides on an incredible run. We have to try to make sure that stops now."
Between them, the two finalists can certainly share a few stories about the times when both clubs flirted with financial ruin and how, in football, the excruciating lows can make the exhilarating highs feel that little bit better. A Wembley final will also be very different from the last time they faced one another, a 2-2 draw in League One in January 2007, with a crowd of 7,347 inside Valley Parade. What a wonderful story it is that Leon Britton was in the Swansea team that day and has been on the upwards trajectory ever since. Swansea's pass-master finished this match with his head bandaged courtesy of a stray elbow from Ramires.
Chelsea needed their own heroes – but nobody raised an arm. Benítez could be forgiven for losing trust in Fernando Torres but there is still something perplexing and unsatisfactory that a team could need two goals and leave out a £50m striker. Torres was brought on directly after Hazard's red card but at that point Chelsea had pretty much waved the white flag. "You could see it was finished," as Laudrup put it afterwards.
How, possibly, could Chelsea be so feeble when the prize was a final against the 10th-placed side from League Two? Benítez's men had a lot of the ball, particularly in the first half, but their creativity was poor and their momentum never built. The urgency was never there. Demba Ba hardly distinguished himself either with the deviousness that was attached to his attempts to win an early penalty. By the end, a side that began the season in contention for seven trophies are down to two, one of which is the Europa League – a competition Roman Abramovich regards as little more than an afterthought.
Swansea will reflect that they had enough chances once they had the extra man to win both legs. In the end, it did not particularly matter. They defended with great resolution and commitment and, when the dust settles, they will cherish the memories of an odd night.


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Telegraph:

Swansea City 0 Chelsea 0; 2-0 on aggregate

Henry Winter

On a night of highs and lows, Hymns and Arias, Swansea City deservedly reached the first major cup final in their long history. Football itself reached a depressing first: a ballboy being kicked by a professional footballer for time-wasting.
In an extraordinary and deeply embarrassing incident, Eden Hazard reacted initially with frustration and then with total folly when ballboy Charlie Morgan, the son of a Swansea director, refused to release the ball with 13 minutes remaining and Swansea protecting their first-leg lead.
Morgan was clearly time-wasting, lying on the ball as if this were an Ospreys game at the Liberty.
Hazard put his hands to one side of Morgan, trying to loosen the ball, and then placed his hands on the other but still the ballboy would not yield possession. Hazard responded by kicking him and was dismissed by referee Chris Foy, ending any faint hope Chelsea had of getting back into his game.
Chelsea, clearly feeling contrite, asked for Morgan to come to their dressing room.
Swansea’s kit-lady led the teenager there, where he was met by Frank Lampard and John Terry, who went out of their way to greet him warmly and check he was all right. Rafa Benítez also met the ballboy, who then talked to Hazard.
Morgan apologised for time-wasting and Hazard then asked whether he had hurt him. Morgan told Hazard that he had caught him in the ribs.
Hazard said sorry. According to Chelsea, Morgan told Hazard that he had been asked by South Wales Police whether he wanted to press charges. He told Hazard that he wanted the matter dropped.
However remarkable, the incident must not be allowed to overshadow Swansea’s formidable achievement.
Michael Laudrup’s side attacked well in the first leg, claiming that two-goal lead. They defended brilliantly here, particularly Ashley Williams and Chico Flores, two determined sentries who blocked and cleared, rising high to meet aerial threats or sliding in to repel shots or crosses.
As Williams and Flores excelled, so did the Swansea fans, singing Hymns and Arias and soon “we’re going to Wembley”.
Swansea’s progress was thoroughly merited and they now take on Bradford City in a rather unexpected line-up for the Capital One Cup final. Swansea and Bradford have not met since a 2-2 League One draw at Valley Parade on Jan 13, 2007. Leon Britton played there in front of 7,347. When he next faces Bradford, at Wembley, there will be 90,000, in what surely will be dubbed the “Peoples Final”
For Chelsea, there will be a painful inquest in a season of painful inquests. Benítez hardly enhanced his chances of making the interim role permanent here, delaying his changes, but he did handle the post-match inquisition well, arguing that the incident was a reflection of the “Big Brother society” when everyone sought fame.
Chelsea certainly lacked the X-Factor at the Liberty. Jumpin’ Jack Flash had pumped up the mood, as if it had needed any further stoking. Pleased that Demba Ba was in ahead of Fernando Torres, Chelsea’s fans had made it along the stop-start, snow-soaked M4, believing that their team could do it.
They were given early hope when Ba raced into the box, falling theatrically under a challenge from Ben Davies. The main contact had been the striker flicking his right leg towards the young Swansea left-back and then throwing himself to the floor, earning a shake of the head from Foy and derision from the Swansea fans.
The home faithful had been buoyed by news that Michu had signed a contract extension to 2016, a decision perceived within the Liberty as also confirming Laudrup’s commitment to the club. Michu had been up on his own, supported occasionally by Jonathan de Guzmán through the middle while Wayne Routledge and Pablo Hernández tucked in on the wings. Routledge almost scored after seven minutes, connecting sweetly with Àngel Rangel’s cross but César Azpilicueta slid in to block.
Swansea, playing with composure and intelligence, counter-attacked again. Routledge fed Michu, whose left-footed strike was pushed away by Petr Cech. Swansea were looking the likelier to score. When Michu headed down, De Guzmán shot goalwards but Gary Cahill blocked.
Shedding their early nerves, Chelsea settled briefly, testing Swansea’s defence. Flores nicked the ball from under the flying feet of Hazard. Williams deflected behind a ball from Ashley Cole.
From Juan Mata’s ensuing corner, Cahill’s header was cleared off the line by Rangel. Gerhard Tremmel then saved from Ramires.
Swansea rode the brief storm in blue. De Guzmán, Britton and Ki Sung-yueng kept playing their triangles in midfield to manouevre the ball out of tight corners. Their work-rate was excellent, embodied by Davies when he made a rare mistake after 25 minutes. Having lost possession to Hazard, Davies chased back to win it back from Mata.
Their defensive determination could not be faulted. When Mata broke into space down the inside-right corridor, Flores formed a human wall to prevent the cross. When Oscar then danced through, Williams read the danger.
Ki was tracking back diligently, closing down Mata and Hazard. The South Korean was then caught by nasty challenge from Ramires, somehow ignored by Foy. Still Swansea defended with discipline. Rangel thwarted Mata. Davies blocked Oscar cross. Williams kept clearing.
Laudrup’s players were giving everything for the cause, even blood.
Britton had his head cut open when challenging Ramires. There was extensive bandaging applied, but Britton played on. He has played with a broken cheekbone before. Tough. He was soon tackling again, dispossessing Mata.
Swansea’s defence continued to shine. Flores nipped in to clear ahead of Oscar. Then Hazard came calling, playing a one-two with Lampard, but again Williams was well-positioned to block. Then Hazard saw red and Swansea began making their travel plans to Wembley.

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Times:

Swansea City 0 Chelsea 0 (Swansea win 2-0 on agg):
One reckless boot is all that goes in for Chelsea

Oliver Kay

As the dust settled on an extraordinary night at the Liberty Stadium, people were talking about a ballboy. Specifically, they were talking about that crazy moment when a 17-year-old, the son of a Swansea City director, was kicked by Eden Hazard as the Chelsea player tried to retrieve the ball from under the teenager’s body.
 No doubt Charlie Morgan will enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. No doubt Hazard will have a few days of notoriety as the FA weighs up whether he should be suspended for more than the three matches that his red card for violent conduct stipulates. But in years to come that will be a mere footnote in the story of the rise and rise of a Swansea City team who deservedly reached the League Cup final last night for the first time in their history.
 Swansea against Bradford City at Wembley on February 24? Bring it on. These teams, who last met in League One seven seasons ago, have illuminated the Capital One Cup and have shown, in various ways, the value of teamwork and discipline when faced with more illustrious opposition.
 It was not because of Hazard, or indeed a ballboy, that Swansea secured their place in the final last night. Chelsea had already looked a busted flush by then, having never threatened to overturn a 2-0 deficit. Along with the freakish nature of the Hazard incident, what was surprising was that it was the most tenacity and urgency shown by a Chelsea player all evening.
 Most of Rafael Benítez’s post-match press conference was taken up with discussion of what had happened with Hazard. The Chelsea interim manager should be grateful for that — as should his players. If the fallout from that episode distracts or deflects attention from a substandard performance, as another trophy has disappeared from their horizon, Benítez and his players can probably live with it.

Swansea rode their luck at times in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, but not last night. They defended superbly, with Chico Flores and Ashley Williams outstanding, and performed with intelligence, sophistication and a focus that will delight Michael Laudrup, their manager.
 Swansea were never in trouble. Their magnificent supporters did their best to convey an air of anxiety in the final moments, but it was artificial; this was as comfortable as a semi-final victory over the European champions could possibly be.
 Gerhard Tremmel, the goalkeeper, barely had a save to make, with Demba Ba struggling to make an impression in the Chelsea forward line before being joined late on by Fernando Torres.
 There was so little urgency about Chelsea’s first-half performance. You wondered if that was part of the Benítez plan: to stay in the tie, then try to exploit the Swansea nerves that would grow as the evening went on. But that seemed less and less plausible the longer Chelsea’s inertia continued.
 The early initiative was with Swansea, who created the game’s first three openings in ways that showed the variety of their attacking threat. The first was a fierce counter-attack, led by Pablo Hernández that culminated in César Azpilicueta’s block from a Wayne Routledge volley after Jonathan de Guzmán crossed from the right. The second was a Michu shot, saved by Petr Cech, after a well-worked move between Leon Britton and Routledge. The third came from Àngel Rangel floating the ball forward and Michu knocking a header down to De Guzmán, whose shot was blocked by Gary Cahill.
 Some of Swansea’s football was delightful, with Britton, De Guzmán and Ki Sung Yueng taking turns to drive them forward, while De Guzmán and Routledge were buzzing around in support of Michu. If Benítez had felt that Laudrup’s team might be unsure whether to stick or twist, there was certainly little in the first half-hour to encourage that view.
 Gradually, Chelsea began to assert themselves, notably through Ashley Cole, who was getting forward well from left back. One Cole run led to a corner, taken by Juan Mata, from which Cahill’s header forced Rangel into a goalline clearance. On another occasion, Cole’s volley was flicked by Hazard into the path of Oscar, only for Williams to intervene. In first-half stoppage time, a Cole cross fell to Ba, who lashed his shot over the crossbar.

Chelsea’s creative inspiration was desperately lacking. Early in the second half, Mata teed up Ba for a shot, which the former Newcastle United forward curled wide of Tremmel’s left-hand post from the edge of the penalty area, but other than that, Swansea looked increasingly comfortable, with Williams dominant, and were happy to play on the counter-attack.
 Something had to change, but Benítez has never been one for the obvious substitution. His first decision was to introduce David Luiz in place of Branislav Ivanovic — one central defender for another — in the hope that the Brazilian would speed up their distribution from the back.
 By then, time was running out. Mata had an effort saved by Tremmel, but Chelsea’s night was about to go from bad to much, much worse.
 As the ball went out of play for a Swansea goalkick, the ballboy was slow to recycle it and tumbled over on top of it under pressure from Hazard’s initial advances. Frustrated by the prone ballboy’s apparent time-wasting, Hazard tried to wrestle the ball back and then took matters into his own hands, kicking it from underneath the teenager’s body and connecting with him in the process. Cue bedlam — and a deserved red card.
 Swansea’s supporters knew by then that their team’s place in the final was all but confirmed. Chelsea’s faint challenge disappeared as the home crowd sang Land Of My Fathers louder than ever before.
 Somewhere inside the ground, a ballboy no doubt had convinced himself that it was all his work. It was not. There have been many genuine heroes in the rise and rise of Swansea City.

Swansea City (4-5-1): G Tremmel — À Rangel, J M Flores, A Williams, B Davies — P Hernández, J de Guzmán, L Britton, Ki Sung Yueng, W Routledge (sub: N Dyer, 65min) — Michu. Substitutes not used: M Vorm, D Tiendalli, G Monk, I Schechter, R Lamah, D Graham.

 Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — C Azpilicueta, G Cahill, B Ivanovic (sub: David Luiz, 68), A Cole (sub: R Bertrand, 85) — Ramires, F Lampard — E Hazard, J Mata, Oscar (sub: F Torres, 81) — D Ba. Substitutes not used: R Turnbull, P Ferreira, J Terry, M Marin. Sent off: Hazard.

 Referee: C Foy.

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Mail:

Swansea 0 Chelsea 0 (agg 2-0): Swans to meet Bradford in final as Hazard bizarrely sees red

By MATT BARLOW

Swansea are not standing on the brink of their first major trophy because Eden Hazard lost his head and kicked a ball boy.
That remarkable loss of discipline said more about Hazard’s immaturity and the simmering frustration at Chelsea as another piece of silverware slipped away in a campaign which began with them chasing seven.
The Capital One Cup has gone the way of the FA Community Shield, the UEFA Super Cup, the Champions League and FIFA’s Club World Cup. They finished with 10 men and fled Wales in the night, hopefully ashamed of Hazard’s idiocy.
As Swansea captain Ashley Williams said: ‘I saw him kick him in the ribs. You can’t do that to a young boy.’
His team will now prepare for Wembley where they will face Bradford City, from League Two, on February 24. The last time they met was in League One, six years ago, when fewer than 8,000 turned up at Valley Parade. Assuming Phil Parkinson’s team have used up their miracles, the Swans can almost touch the silver.
Michael Laudrup’s stock continues to soar. If he was not on Roman Abramovich’s managerial short-list before, then he will be now, having out-thought Benitez and kept the European champions at bay for 180 minutes.
‘It is really incredible,’ said Laudrup. ‘What we have done is a small fairy-tale but what Bradford have done is absolutely fantastic, beating three Premier League sides. I hope it stops there.’
Swansea did their damage at Stamford Bridge in the first leg. Last night it was a question of resisting the inevitable Chelsea charge, keeping organised and clear-minded. They did it quite brilliantly, led by Chico Flores and Williams, brave centre-halves who resisted when the visitors threatened and organised those around.
Shirtless Flores was cheered from the field at the end, as was Leon Britton, another battered hero, who completed the game with his head strapped.
Britton spent the second half on the toes of his central defenders, collecting scraps of possession, filling holes and launching the increasingly rare counter-attacks.
Swansea stood firm and protected Gerhard Tremmel, who barely had a save to make. When he did, he was alert, diving to his right to smother a fierce drive from Juan Mata near the end.
Mostly, however, the German goalkeeper who must have felt both under siege and underemployed at the same time. For all Chelsea’s possession there were few clear chances.
Demba Ba muscled his way into the area with less than seven minutes gone, pushed the ball past Ben Davies, searched for contact and crashed to the turf. Referee Chris Foy was unmoved, although there were similarities to the penalty won by Ramires against Arsenal.
There were further echoes before half time when the Brazilian sank his studs into Ki Sung-Yueng’s ankle, twisting it badly. He was late and it was a foul, but Foy waved play on. Ki needed treatment but was able to return.
The home crowd responded to Laudrup’s call for vocal backing by seething noisily at Ba’s theatrical tumble and they roared as their team swarmed forward on the break. Swansea are quick and industrious and rarely waste time on the turnover of possession.
Angel Rangel launched the first counter-attack, found Jonathan de Guzman on the right and his deep cross was met on the volley by Wayne Routledge. The connection was sweet but Cesar Azpilicueta threw himself in the line of fire.
Moments later Cech produced a brilliant save to deny Michu. Released by Routledge, the Spanish striker looked well set, driving his shot with his left foot across the ‘keeper but Cech did well.
Cahill prompted vain cries of handball as he blocked another Routledge shot, again after a good link-up with Michu, before Chelsea really stirred into life, took a grip and slowly squeezed Swansea back towards their goal.
‘What gave me the belief we could do it was our start,’ said Laudrup. ‘My major concern was the way we started. We did not score but we did well. We were into the game. We know there would be moments when we were defending deep and under pressure. There were 10 minutes in the first half but without the big, big chances.’
Chelsea finished the first half strongly. Ba turned and flashed another effort over from the edge of the box — and the pattern  continued after the break.
Ba seized on a rare moment of confusion and went close again, curling a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards. Williams lifted the home supporters with a strong but fair tackle on Hazard, which left the Belgian in a heap. Ramires miscued horribly and Lampard, in his desperation to rescue the  situation, rifled a 25-yarder into the top tier of the stand behind Tremmel’s goal.
Chelsea never really generated a head of steam. If they had, it would been lost in the Hazard flashpoint, when the ball boy collected the ball and refused to give it to the Belgian. He fell on top of it and when Hazard kicked the ball from beneath him. The ball-boy clutched his side, clearly hurt and Williams rushed to confront Hazard.
After much discussion Foy sent off Hazard. It meant six minutes of stoppage time but Swansea were never in danger after this. They finished on top. Cech made a fine save from Nathan Dyer.
It didn’t matter. Swansea were Wembley bound and the celebrations started in South Wales.


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Sun:

Shaun custis

CAN this Capital One Cup competition get any more extraordinary?
On Tuesday night League Two minnows Bradford completed an astonishing journey to the final by giving Aston Villa a metaphorical boot in the ribs.
Last night Chelsea had £32million Eden Hazard sent off for kicking a ballboy in the ribs as they were knocked out by Swansea.
It is hard to recall a more bizarre dismissal. With 12 minutes left, the Belgian midfielder was trying and failing to wrestle the ball away from teenager Charlie Morgan as he lay on the ground refusing to let go.
Hazard’s solution to the conundrum was extreme to say the least as he applied a right boot to the lad’s chest and ref Chris Foy had no option but to send him off.
It was a stupid thing to do and another sorry chapter in Chelsea’s recent chequered history.
But the ballboy was not totally blameless. He was clearly time-wasting in Swansea’s favour.
Swans boss Michael Laudrup said: “To have beaten the European champions over two games to get to a final for the first time is absolutely incredible.
“They lost their belief after the red card. You could see when he was sent off they were finished.
“What we have done is a small fairytale but what Bradford have done is absolutely amazing.”
And it was not as if Swansea needed Hazard’s help. They had the visitors in their pockets for most of the night and never looked like surrendering the two-goal advantage they earned at Stamford Bridge.
The Swans are no footballing ugly ducklings. This is a team that deserves to grace Wembley.
And they will be in the unaccustomed position of being overwhelming favourites to lift a first major trophy in their 100-year history.
Should they do so, they will also be rewarded with European competition next season.
Last time Bradford played Swansea six years ago 7,347 fans saw a League One clash at Valley Parade that ended 2-2. Next month, there will be 80,000 to watch them at the home of football.
As for Chelsea, this was another sizeable step backwards for the Rafa Benitez regime.
Benitez was beaten in the Club World Cup soon after arriving and has failed in this one too.
The interim boss claims owner Roman Abramovich is happy with him. He might like to have a rethink after this.
Laudrup says Chelsea need trophies more than his men because of all the millions spent by Abramovich.
By contrast getting to this final is a bonus for the Welsh, not an expectation. There was a feeling that Chelsea could turn it round and Laudrup still argued the opposition were favourites before kick-off despite their two-goal lead.
But his central defensive pairing of skipper Ashley Williams and Chico were immense. They would not let Chelsea pass.
And to have kept clean sheets in both legs of the semi against talent like Oscar, Juan Mata, Hazard and Demba Ba is no mean achievement.
Senegal striker Ba wanted a penalty on seven minutes when he caught the trailing leg of Ben Davies. But despite Ba’s protests, referee Foy was having none of it. Had he got the verdict the night might have been very different.
Having survived that scare Swansea rattled the visitors as they carved out two fine chances.
First Wayne Routledge had his stinging volley well blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta, then turned provider to put in Michu who had a left-foot shot saved by the diving Petr Cech.
The Swans were not flapping and were showing no signs of nerves.
Next Gary Cahill threw himself in front of a Swansea shot, this time from Jonathan De Guzman.
Then Cahill threatened at the other end with a looping header which was headed away by Angel Rangel on the post. No one was shirking their responsibilities in this Swans defence.
Williams epitomised the commitment by getting back to nick the ball off Oscar in the six-yard box as the Brazilian looked set to score.
Ramires’ frustration showed with a nasty challenge on Ki Sung-Yueng that went unpunished, as he raked his boot down the South Korean’s ankle.
As half-time approached, Ba lashed over the top and Swansea had got half the job done, thanks in no little part to rock-solid Williams and Chico.
It was hard to see how Chelsea were going to crack them open, let alone get the two goals they needed to force the tie into extra-time.
If Benitez was thinking of introducing Fernando Torres he need only to have taken a glance behind on the bench to see it was not worth the bother.
Torres seemed hardly desperate to play, with his jacket zipped over a face masking a look of indifference.
In any case Ba was still having a go and a right-footer from 20 yards was not far wide. Routledge, who had run himself silly, was replaced by Nathan Dyer as Laudrup carefully plotted his way through the 90 minutes.
Benitez countered by introducing David Luiz. And while he came on at the back for Branislav Ivanovic and not in midfield, you still felt he would have more impact than Torres.
After Hazard was dismissed for his lunacy, Torres went on for the last nine minutes. Few expected any miracles from the £50million man who cost double the Swansea team.
Benitez said: “I was convinced we would score but we didn’t create the clear chances we needed. It was the same story as in the first leg.”
These days the sight of Torres is a boost for the opposition, not a worry.
Foy added seven minutes of injury time because of the ballboy incident.
He could have added 70 minutes and Chelsea would not have scored.

DREAM TEAM RATINGS

STAR MAN - ASHLEY WILLIAMS (Swansea)
SWANSEA: Tremmel 7, Rangel 7, Chico 7, Davies 7, Williams 8, Britton 6, Ki 7, Routledge 7, De Guzman 7, Hernandez 6, Michu 6. Subs: Dyer (Routledge) 6. Not used: Vorm, Monk, Tiendalli, Graham, Lamah, Shechter.

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Azpilicueta 6, Cole 6, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 7, Lampard 6, Ramires 6, Mata 7, Hazard 1, Oscar 6, Ba 6. Subs: Luiz (Ivanovic) 6, Torres (Oscar) 5, Bertrand (Cole) 5. Not used: Turnbull, Ferreira, Terry, Marin. Sent off: Hazard.


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Star:

SWANSEA 0 - CHELSEA 0: SWAN FOR THE ROAD TO WEMB-GLEE!

By Ralph Ellis

ALL of a sudden the Capital One Cup has become a competition for dreamers.
On Tuesday it was lowly ­Bradford who proved that football miracles can happen even in the modern multi-million pound era of high finance.
Last night came Swansea’s attempt to reach a Wembley final for the first time in their history – in the club’s centenary year as well. And they showed once again that ­romance is not dead.
Ten years ago the Welsh club were teetering on the brink of extinction, crippled by debt and playing Hull on the final day of the season knowing that anything other than a win would have seen them crashing out of the Football League.
Their journey to where they are now has been remarkable.
And just as astonishing is that Leon Britton, a key man in the midfield that crucial day, was still making things tick against the reigning European champions last night.
In the first 15 minutes the 30-year-old midfielder picked some clever passes that gave first ­Angel Rangel and then ­Pablo Hernandez the chance to get at Chelsea’s defence.
And by the second half he was battling on with his head ­bandaged after a clash had left him needing treatment.
Surely the odds would be against two miracles in two days, even with Swansea holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg.
Yet Blues boss Rafa ­Benitez spent the early minutes in and out of his technical area, and it wasn’t hard to see why he was worried as his side were caught on the break.
The Spaniard wanted a cup ­final as a chance to win over Chelsea’s fans and maybe even to convince owner Roman Abramovich that the “interim” should be removed from his job title as team manager.
But his side had kept just three clean sheets in 15 games and should have conceded again as Rangel stormed forward only for Wayne Routledge to put a ­glorious chance over the bar.
Demba Ba, chosen ahead of Fernando Torres up front, wanted a penalty after seven minutes but Chris Foy was right to turn him down. If anything the referee was generous not to book the forward for his theatrical tumble over Ben Davies.
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup’s glittering playing ­career, with seven league title medals for four clubs in three countries, had left him well aware of the value of a psychological boost before a big game.
So the Dane picked the right day to persuade star striker Michu to sign a new contract.
The Spaniard has burst on to the Premier League stage with 15 goals before last night in all competitions – including one at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago.
And he agreed a four-year deal to stay at the Liberty Stadium just four hours before kick off.
Michu underlined his value, bringing down Rangel’s cross and setting up Jonathan De ­Guzman for a shot that Gary ­Cahill frantically blocked.
But then he wasn’t the only one celebrating a new deal and Ashley Cole burst into life to start a good spell of pressure for Chelsea.
He won a corner that ended with Rangel clearing ­Cahill’s header off the line, then Eden Hazard tested Gerhard Tremmel with a low shot.
Swansea knew that every minute they didn’t concede took them closer to Wembley.
And they could sense the ­frustration of the Londoners – especially when, with half-an-hour gone, Ramires horribly mis-hit a pass that went into the stand. If Chelsea had a reason to ­believe then it was their recent away record.
They might have had a few ­hiccups at Stamford Bridge – including the first leg of this semi-final – but they have won their last six domestic games away from home, scoring 20 goals in the process.
But they were struggling to break down the Swans and were relieved that ­Hernandez was flagged just offside on a break at the start of the second half.
Even when a good advantage played by referee Foy allowed Juan Mata to find some space, it all finished with Ba shooting wide – and he was just as wild with another effort as the clock ticked past the hour.
Even Frank Lampard was showing signs of desperation, lashing a shot way over the bar from a 63rd minute free-kick.
And there was controversy when Hazard was sent off in the 80th minute.
A ball-boy lay on the ball when Hazard tried to retrieve it for a Swansea goal kick. The frustrated Belgian tried to kick it out but booted the youngster.
After consulting his assistant, Foy got out his red card.
That left the Blues with too much to do – and Swansea were on their way to Wembley.

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Express:

SWANSEA 0 - CHELSEA 0: SWANSEA BOOT OUTBRAWL BOYS
Tony Banks

The midfielder was sent off 10 minutes from time for kicking a ball boy as Chelsea’s night went from bad to worse.
With time running out and Chelsea increasingly frustrated, the ball boy took the ball and fell on it after it had gone out of play. Hazard tried to retrieve it to re-start play quickly but, when denied, he kicked the ball from under the ball boy, hurting him in the process. Referee Chris Foy then sent off the Belgian.
The red card did not detract from the victory for Swansea and their manager Michael Laudrup. The Dane is a cool, calm and collected man. But the grin that split his face at full-time last night told a thousand stories.
Laudrup’s admirable side overcame Chelsea and their millions as they held on to the two-goal lead they had earned in the first leg in London. And no one could begrudge them their achievement in the slightest.
So it will be Swansea who now face Bradford at Wembley on February 24 in a Capital One Cup final no one could have foreseen. But what a triumph for the unpredictability and, yes, the romance of cup football it will be.
Ten years on from almost going out of the Football League, the homely Welsh club will write their names in the history books for all the right reasons. For Rafa Benitez it was another setback to his hopes of getting the manager’s job on a permanent basis in the summer.
His side tried to overcome that first-leg defecit and had plenty of pressure. But Swansea were too good.
Despite trailing by two goals from the first leg, Chelsea went into the second match of this semi-final in showbound South Wales with considerable optimism. After all, Benitez’ men, so shaky on their own pitch, had won their last six away games on the bounce, scoring 20 goals. Swansea had been so impressive in that first leg, however, that Chelsea knew a turnaround was going to be tough. Chelsea had 24 shots on goal at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago to Swansea’s two, it was the Welsh side who won, courtesy of two horrible errors from Branislav Ivanovic.
There were serious doubts that last night’s game would be called off an hour before kick-off, as the blizzards swept in from the Atlantic, but it eased sufficiently for the game to start.
For Swansea, never before in a major cup final and just 10 years ago on the brink of going out of the Football League, there would surely never be a better chance.
Laudrup’s hugely capable team, showing three changes from the side that beat Stoke 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, were boosted before the game by the news that top scorer Michu had signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2016.
Benitez recalled Demba Ba to lead the attack with the power and muscularity which they would need.
The first goal last night was always going to be crucial, and it was Swansea who almost got it as Wayne Routledge saw his shot blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta. Routledge then cleverly put Michu through but Petr Cech pulled off an excellent save from the Spaniard.
Chelsea had an early shout for a penalty waved away when Ba tumbled. Swansea were certainly not intent on simply protecting their lead, and it needed a fine block by Gary Cahill to stop Jonathan de Guzman’s shot.
But then Cahill thumped in a header from a corner and Angel Rangel had to clear off the line, before Hazard saw his shot saved.
Ramires drove from 25 yards, but again keeper Gerhard Tremmel was in the right place. Oscar fluffed a chance, mishitting his shot from Juan Mata’s cross, as Chelsea began at last to impose themselves on the game.
The next chance came when Swansea failed to clear Ashley Cole’s cross but Ba fired just over.
It was Ba again, pulling his shot a foot wide from Mata’s pass, who looked the most likely to get the goal that Chelsea needed to spark the tie into life again. But time was not on the Londoners’ side. As the minutes ticked by at the frozen Liberty Stadium, though, so it seemed did another chance for Benitez to claim the job at the end of this season. And somewhere in Madrid, Jose Mourinho might have been chuckling.
The pressure mounted as Chelsea forced Swansea back, but very few clear-cut chances came Chelsea’s way. There was no cutting edge.
And Swansea, with De Guzman and Ki Sung-Yueng cool and calm in midfield, kept pinching the ball off them time and time again.
Even when being pressed back, Laudrup’s side never lost their shape and their desire to keep the ball.

SWANSEA CITY (4-2-3-1): Tremmel; Rangel, Flores, Williams, Davies; Britton, Ki; Hernandez, DeGuzman, Routledge (Dyer 65); Michu.
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic (Luiz 67), Cahill, Cole (Bertrand 86); Ramires, Lampard; Mata, Hazard, Oscar (Torres 80); Ba. Sent off: Hazard (80).
Referee: C Foy.