Swansea 1-0

Independent:

Swansea City 0 Chelsea 1
Demba Ba leaps to keep Chelsea in title hunt as John Terry marks referee’s card

By MIGUEL DELANEY
Jose Mourinho refused to come out and speak for his post-game press conference but, on this occasion, he would not have been able to spin it or downplay it: Chelsea have a huge say in this title race.
On Sunday, against 10-man Swansea City, they took an appreciable step. That was thanks to Demba Ba making a significant leap. Although this was the striker’s first start since 6 October, he ended up providing the finish that Chelsea so badly needed.
But the dismissal of Chico Flores for a second yellow card as early as the 16th minute undoubtedly helped Chelsea’s cause and John Terry revealed afterwards the part he played in referee Phil Dowd’s decision, which he arrived at only after long deliberation. “I just said, ‘It’s a second yellow for me’,” said the captain. “He gave him one a couple of minutes before on the halfway line and that one just outside the box is probably even more a yellow than the other one. Fair play to Phil, the ref, it was a big decision to make and I thought he made the right one.”
In truth, this game showed why they had recently lost the lead. Despite playing against 10 men for so long, Chelsea made hard work of opening Swansea up. It has been a recurring theme of their season, culminating in Mourinho’s notorious complaints about his forwards. Here, the most overlooked saved him.
“It has been a very good week for the whole club, the fans and my family,” said Ba, who scored the decisive goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final. “I always believe, even though it’s hard when you don’t play, because fitness and confidence go down. I just said I would give everything and the goal came.”
Steve Holland, Chelsea’s assistant manager, praised Ba for his perseverance. “He deserves that,” Holland said. “He’s always working in training, afterwards on his own, this type of finishing, that type of finishing.”
In truth, it was not the cleanest finish. After Nemanja Matic had played Ba in on 68 minutes, the forward seemed to have taken the ball the wrong side before benefiting from a deflection. The relief was palpable after so many missed chances.
Before that, Mohamed Salah, Willian, Oscar, Samuel Eto’o and Ba himself had squandered clear opportunities. It looked like it was going to be one big missed chance.
It is also the one big worry for Chelsea in this run-in. While they possess the cast-iron defence that Liverpool and Manchester City do not, they also lack the firepower with which their two rivals more regularly blow away lesser teams. In that, Chelsea’s favourable run-in – excluding that trip to Anfield in two weeks – may actually be a disadvantage. Ominous as Mourinho’s team look, there is the feeling that they have one more blank in them. This came very close to being it, despite the extra man.
Holland, however, argued that the red card had been a disadvantage in the context. “If anything, it’s probably more difficult than against a team that opens up against you and leaves space.
“In that situation, it was not that different than normal. We were trying to get the ball into wide positions, to get bodies in the box. That was very much the thinking at half-time. We needed three in the middle and went two up.”
One of them provided the winner, and may prove the wild card in this race.
Chico’s second yellow came after André Schürrle had been pulled down, and Garry Monk could not dispute that, though did have a problem with the nature of Chelsea’s protests before the red was issued.
“If you go by the letter of the law, it is a sending-off,” the Swansea manager said. “The more disappointing thing is it looked like he signalled [it was not a booking] straight away. So for their bench and manager to surround the fourth official, and their players to surround the referee himself... the circumstances make it strange.”
Swansea’s circumstances in the table, however, have become that bit worse. Despite looking to the positive of having their fate in their own hands at three points clear of relegation, Monk feels that “probably two more wins would make it secure”.
Holland believes Chelsea must win all their remaining games: “That’s the likelihood, but we’ve been facing that task for a good couple of weeks, certainly on the back of the [1-0 defeat] at Crystal Palace. Any leeway we had was eliminated with that result.”
Here, however, Chelsea only added a layer of complexity to the title race. Although it is Liverpool’s to lose, Mourinho’s side have it in their own hands to finish above Brendan Rodgers’ team but require another slip from Manchester City. Manuel Pellegrini, ironically, now needs a favour from Mourinho at Anfield.
If all that is confusing, Ba made this match all too clear. Just when it looked as though it was going to be one of those days, the forward continued his superb week.

===================

Guardian:

Demba Ba goal secures three points for Chelsea over 10-man Swansea
Swansea 0 Chelsea 1
Stuart James at the Liberty Stadium

The forgotten man of Chelsea is doing a decent job of reminding José Mourinho that he might have something to offer after all. For the second time in the space of six days, Demba Ba came to Chelsea's rescue, following up his decisive late strike against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek with the only goal of the game here to keep alive their hopes of winning the title.
Mourinho may have conceded defeat on that front after losing at Crystal Palace last month but Chelsea, make no mistake, are still in the race. This narrow but deserved victory lifts them to within two points of Liverpool and they still have to go to Anfield. Either side of that fixture Chelsea take on Atlético Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. They would still need Manchester City to slip up to triumph in the Premier Leaguebut it is shaping up to be quite a climax to the season.
Few would have imagined that Ba would end up playing an important role. It has been quite a week for the man who has spent much of the season confined to the substitutes' bench, listening to Mourinho's put downs about his lack of "real strikers". There is nothing particularly refined about Ba, and there remains every chance he will move on in the summer, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that he has scored two hugely significant goals in his last two appearances.
Granted only his third league start of the season – a penny for the thoughts of Fernando Torres, who remained on the bench throughout, even when Mourinho decided to go for broke – Ba capitalised on a catalogue of Swansea mistakes to score midway through the second half, just when the visitors were starting to become anxious about whether the breakthrough would come.
By that point Swansea had long been playing with 10 men, after Chico Flores was dismissed in the 16th minute, when he picked up two yellow cards in the space of 123sec. Already on a booking for a poor challenge on Willian, Flores was playing with fire when he cynically brought down André Schürrle as the German broke away on the Chelsea left. It was a ridiculous challenge for the Spaniard to make.
The incident proved controversial because of how Phil Dowd, the referee, handled the situation. While there was no doubt that Flores deserved to be sent off, Dowd initially awarded a free-kick and gave no indication initially that he was going to show a second yellow card.
Mourinho, waving two fingers in the air to signify that it was Flores's second offence, was furious on the touchline and raged at Robert Madley, the fourth official. John Terry then ran to confront Dowd and later admitted that he told the referee "it's a second yellow".
Belatedly Dowd arrived at that decision himself and showed a red card to Flores, prompting Garry Monk to lose his cool with Madley. The Swansea head coach was, however, much more restrained afterwards, when he described the circumstances leading up to the decision as "strange" but accepted that Dowd had ultimately got it right.
From that moment on it was a question of whether Swansea could hold out. They restricted Chelsea to few opportunities for the remainder of the first half – Mohamed Salah, one of five changes from the team that beat PSG, was guilty of two poor misses – but the visitors cranked up the pressure after Mourinho introduced Oscar and Samuel Eto'o for Ramires and Schürrle at the interval.
Ba's glancing header flashed wide and Eto'o snatched at a glorious opportunity, before Swansea's defence was finally breached. The frustration for Monk was that it was such a poor goal to concede. César Azpilicueta was deep inside his own half when he took a throw-in that released the unmarked Nemanja Matic, who was able to stride forward before picking out Ba. Ashley Williams never got tight enough to the Chelsea striker, who shifted the ball on to his left foot before striking a 20-yard shot that Michel Vorm should have kept out.
Although Swansea never surrendered, it was difficult to see them finding a way back into the game. Petr Cech, who had made a fine save to tip over Wilfried Bony's superb twisting header in the 13th minute, endured a nervous moment in the closing stages when he scrambled across his line to keep out Jonjo Shelvey's attempted cross but that was as close as Swansea came to an equaliser.
They remain in a precarious position, three points and three places above the relegation zone. "Four games left, it's not a position we want to be in, but we're not chasing, we've got it in our own hands," Monk said. "We need to do something in the next game."
Man of the match Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)

===============

Telegraph:

Swansea City 0 Chelsea 1
By Matt Law, at the Liberty Stadium

Jose Mourinho has been cast as the villain on plenty of occasions during his successful career. So the Chelsea manager will have no problem trying to ruin Liverpool’s Premier Leaguedream.
After Liverpool had secured another thrilling victory that sent them clear of Manchester City and underlined their status as this season’s great entertainers, Chelsea produced a classic Mourinho response to keep themselves in the title race.
There was controversy, effort, determination and a never-say-die attitude. What Chelsea lack in style under Mourinho, they make up for in substance.
Just a week ago, it would have been easy to forget Demba Ba existed but he has been Chelsea’s unlikely hero twice in the space of six days to keep their season alive.
Having rescued Chelsea’s Champions League hopes with a late goal against Paris St-Germain, Ba was on target again at the Liberty Stadium to secure a narrow win over 10-man Swansea.
It was not a performance or result that screamed ‘title winners’ at their rivals, but it kept Chelsea only two points behind Liverpool with a trip to Anfield to come on April 27.
Captain John Terry said: “It feels like a bigger win because of the Liverpool result earlier in the day. We knew about it and, looking at the result, it’s probably the one we wanted – even though Liverpool are flying.
“The manager said before the game, regardless of the Liverpool result, if we don’t win our games then we will make it easy for them. We’ve won our game and the pressure is still on the teams above and below us.”
Glen Johnson may have labelled Liverpool the people’s champions, but Mourinho has never been one to worry too much about the thoughts of those outside his immediate circle.
The siege mentality has set in at Chelsea. After cancelling his pre-match press conference, Mourinho also decided not to speak after the victory.
Asked if Chelsea were bothered by the fact Liverpool believe neutrals are on their side, assistant first-team coach Steve Holland said: “If that’s the way Brendan Rodgers wants people to see it, that’s fine. What the reality is I’m really not so sure.
“The only important thing is you do everything you can to try to win the championship for your club, your supporters. What everybody else thinks is up to them.
“We’ve probably got to win all of our games, one way or another. That’s the likelihood, but we’ve been facing that task now for a good couple of weeks on the back of our defeat at Crystal Palace.”
Ba’s start at Swansea City was his first in the Premier League since Oct 6 and the winning goal was only his fourth in the top flight this season.
It took 68 minutes for him to make the breakthrough and the goal owed more to terrible defending from Swansea than attacking brilliance.
César Azpilicueta’s long throw from well inside his own half was not cut out, Nemanja Matic punted the ball forwards and Ba was given too much space by Ashley Williams before firing under the body of Swansea goalkeeper Michael Vorm.
“I always believe, even though it’s hard when you don’t play because your confidence and fitness go down,” Ba said. “I just said I would give everything and the goal came today. I never stopped believing. I know the manager always wanted to keep three strikers. I knew I would get the opportunity to come in.”
Apart from not worrying about the prospect of spoiling Liverpool’s party, Mourinho will not care that Swansea were upset by his perceived influence in the 16th-minute dismissal of Chico Flores.
Two minutes after being booked for a cynical challenge on Willian, Flores upended André Schürrle on the left edge of the Swansea penalty area.
Referee Phil Dowd took an age before finally showing the defender a second yellow card.
The decision appeared to be the correct one, but Swansea were furious with the protests of Mourinhho to fourth official Robert Madley and the complaints of Terry and Azpilicueta to Dowd.
Dowd clearly took advice in his earpiece from Madley before issuing the second yellow card.
Mohamed Salah had missed a great chance to put Chelsea ahead before the sending off, but the visitors struggled to create chances despite their advantage. Even a half-time switch to a four-man attack, with Samuel Eto’o joining Ba, Salah and Willian, failed to inspire a Chelsea goal flurry.
Eto’o missed two good chances, but Ba’s strike proved to be enough and Mourinho can start to plot how he can trip up Liverpool. No doubt he will use every trick in the book.

=======================

Times:

Dreary Chelsea keep excitement of title race alive
Swansea City 0 Chelsea 1

Gary Jacob

José Mourinho can protest all he likes about Chelsea being outside the title race but the trophy remains theoretically in his grasp. After this dreary display Manuel Pellegrini will feel justified in his assertion that the champions should be entertainers.
There is another part of the footballing jigsaw, of course, and just hours after Pellegrini’s City side gifted the advantage to Liverpool, losing 3-2, Chelsea laboured to victory over Swansea City. Liverpool play Chelsea at Anfield in less than a fortnight and Mourinho will revel in testing his tactical nous against one of his former apprentices, Brendan Rodgers, now the Liverpool manager.
Yesterday saw the kind of victory that showed why no one should write off Chelsea. They might not match the swashbuckling goalscoring displays of their two rivals, but they are defensively resolute and relentless.
Mourinho refused to speak yesterday for fear of saying too much as he appeals against an FA fine of £8,000 after being sent off in the defeat away to Aston Villa last month. He did, though, have a word with Robert Madley, the fourth official, shortly before Chico Flores was dismissed for a second bookable offence. Swansea, who were unhappy about the decision, played gamely for 75 minutes with ten men, but caused their own downfall when Michel Vorm allowed Demba Ba’s low strike to pass under his hand midway through the second half.
It was bad timing for Swansea. They had weathered the storm and were punished for overcommitting in their attacking adventure, leaving Nemanja Matic, the Chelsea midfielder, to find the perfect through ball.
Ba, who was making his first Premier League start since October, said: “I always believe even though it’s hard when you don’t play, because fitness and confidence go down. I just said I would give everything and the goal came today.
“It was difficult for the strikers. They were defending very tight together. I had to finish it and I did.” Ba used the opportunity to start his bid for a new club and linked himself with a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer. “I look forward to playing those 90 minutes next season, wherever that is,” Ba said. It probably will not be in west London. Mourinho will have seen yesterday more evidence, if any was needed, of the need for a prolific striker.
Chelsea lacked a clinical edge and the invention and trickery of the injured Eden Hazard as they toiled — even after Flores was shown a red card.
After Flores left the field, they mustered one effort when Willian dragged a shot wide. Mohamed Salah has not played to the ability he showed while at Basle, his previous club; his best effort scraping the outside of the post with the goal at his mercy after Branislav Ivanovic’s brilliant pull back found the winger in plenty of space.
Samuel Eto’o entered at the break and was pretty awful. He pulled one chance wide and allowed the ball to go under his feet on another occasion. Oscar turned Willian’s shot goalwards and Ashley Williams hacked clear in front of his line while Ba glanced inches wide from a teasing cross from Ivanovic.
Swansea had little possession but when they did get the ball Wayne Routledge, their winger, sprinted clear of the Chelsea defence only for his shot to deflect off John Terry. The home side pressed for the equaliser and Petr Cech denied Wilfried Bony and Nathan Dyer and scooped clear a shot from Jonjo Shelvey at the death to ensure the title race remains on. @garyjacob

Swansea City (4-2-3-1): M Vorm 4 — Á Rangel 5, J M Flores 4, A Williams 7, B Davies 6 — L Britton 6 (sub: J De Guzmán, 87), J Shelvey 5 — N Dyer 7 (sub: D Ngog, 73), P Hernández 6 (sub: J Amat, 19 6), W Routledge 6 — W Bony 6. Substitutes not used: G Tremmel, N Taylor, J Fulton, M Emnes. Sent off: Flores.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech 6 — B Ivanovic 7, G Cahill 6, J Terry 6, C Azpilicueta 7 — Ramires 4 (sub: Oscar, 46 6), N Matic 6 — M Salah 6, Willian 6, A Schürrle 6 (sub: S Eto’o, 46 5) — D Ba 7 (sub: J O Mikel, 79). Substitutes not used: M Schwarzer, A Cole, D Luiz, F Torres. Booked: Schürrle, Mikel.

Referee: P Dowd. Attendance:20,761.

=================

Mail:

Swansea 0-1 Chelsea: Ba's strike against 10 men keeps Blues hot on Liverpool's heels

By Riath Al-Samarrai

Straight down the tunnel and not a word for the press. A win is a win, but a victory like this will do nothing to convince Jose Mourinho that he commands anything other than a battering ram with a blunt nose. He’s said it all before so perhaps there was no point in repeating himself.
True, it is a win that puts Chelsea close to where they want to be. Had he stopped for a chat, he might have even admitted they now have a chance of winning the title.
But this was a laboured win against a side playing with 10 men for 75 minutes, a performance of wasted chances and not many deep breaths. They cantered and strolled, comfortable and occasionally attractive, but not exactly busting a gut and certainly not clinical.
Here, they managed 26 shots and, astonishingly, hit the target with only three of them. A season in miniature? They might have won by five or six, but instead they were perhaps lucky to win by one, Demba Ba’s winning strike taking a deflection before it was helped by some poor goalkeeping.
Maybe they were helped, also, by referee Phil Dowd, who made the right decision in a questionable manner when the game’s key moment arose after 15 minutes. Chico Flores had committed his second poor foul in the space of 84 seconds, and he was rightly booked for both.
But the contention came from the fact that Dowd made a delayed call to show the second yellow, having initially appeared to decide a free-kick was punishment enough. John Terry was part of the swarm around the referee that preceded the change of heart and he later admitted: ‘I told the referee: “that’s a second yellow card for me”.’
Right as the call was, Swansea manager Garry Monk was less than impressed by the persuasive tactics, saying: ‘He initially signalled no, then their bench get in the fourth official’s ear, and their players surround the referee.
‘I was surprised it took so long for the decision to be made. I’m sure the referee’s got a legitimate reason for doing it the way he did.’
On such moments can a season turn and that might apply as strongly to both clubs.
Mourinho has gone to peculiar lengths in writing off his team’s chances in this campaign and the message appears to have been passed down to his assistant, Steve Holland, who said: ‘I think not much has changed. We are five clear of Manchester City who have two games more than us. Manchester City win their matches and they finish ahead of Chelsea.’
All of which piles more emphasis on to Chelsea’s April 27 match against Liverpool. Terry added: ‘It’s very tough, but it’s very important we keep winning our games as well. It’s obviously out of our hands at the moment.
For Swansea, the end of the campaign might herald the end of Flores’s Swansea career. A second red in six games has made him a liability, his foul on Andre Schurrle on 15 minutes coming just moments after he hauled down Willian in Chelsea’s half.
The recriminations were strong in the crowd, particularly towards Terry, but however the decision was reached, it was the right one.
Demba Ba scored his third goal in four Premier League appearances, but it was only his third goal in 14 Premier League starts for Chelsea.
Not that Chelsea made it count for nearly an hour after the incident. They dominated possession, but it’s hard to imagine Liverpool or Manchester City being so wasteful in so many good positions. Swansea were admirably dedicated in their task, but this was another game against smaller opposition where Chelsea have appeared flat.
It was Salah who had the best of the first-half chances, twice getting on the end of lovely, quickfire moves and not hitting the target on either occasion. Good chances, bad misses. Mourinho carried a look that said as much.
TIn between, Nathan Dyer and Wilfried Bony forced good saves from Petr Cech. More than that, though, they fought and they got rough. Bony crunched into Nemanja Matic, a pair of proper heavyweights. Leon Britton, all 5ft 6in of him, beat Willian in a 50-50.
They are surely too good to go down, if such a thing exists. Monk said: ‘I told them if we show that in the last four games we will have no problems.
‘But we are not in a good position. We have to do something quickly’ Mourinho had something to do here and his response at half-time was to take off Ramires and Schurrle for Oscar and Samuel Eto’o. The impact was underwhelming.
Willian blew one chance and Ba missed the target with a header. Eto’o wasted two excellent opportunities.
Swansea had one chance of note in retaliation, Wayne Routledge shooting against Terry’s shoulder, before Ba made his contribution after 68 minutes.
Matic collected a throw in and was perhaps afforded too much space by Shelvey before looping a long ball to Ba, who turned outside Williams and hit a snapshot. The ball deflected off Williams and squirmed under Vorm.
It was an ugly goal for an ugly win.

Swansea (4-2-3-1): Vorm 5; Rangel 6.5, Flores 3, Williams 6.5, Davies 6; Britton 6.5 (De Guzman 86), Shelvey 6.5; Dyer 6 (Ngog 73, 6), Hernandez 6 (Amat 19, 6), Routledge 7; Bony 6.5.
Subs not used: Taylor, Tremmel, Fulton, Emnes.
Sent off: Flores.
Manager: Garry Monk 6.5

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 6.5; Ivanovic 6.5, Cahill 6.5, Terry 6.5, Azpilicueta 6; Ramires 5.5 (Oscar 45, 6), Matic 7.5; Salah 5.5, Willian 6, Schurrle 6 (Eto’o 46, 4.5); Ba 6.5 (Mikel 79)
Subs not used: Cole, Luiz, Torres, Oscar, Mikel, Schwarzer.
Booked: Schurrle, Mikel.
Goals: Ba.
Manager: Jose Mourinho 7

Ref: Phil Dowd 7
Att: 20,761
Man of the match: Nemanja Matic

================

Mirror:

Swansea 0-1 Chelsea: Demba Ba the hero again as Blues cling to Liverpool's coat-tails

Michael Steele

They keep on coming. They will not give up.
And at Anfield on Sunday week, the Sorcerer will get the chance to tame his Apprentice.
Jose Mourinho’s post-match vow of silence here was about his gripe with the FA rather than anything said by the Blues' former reserve team manager Brendan Rodgers, or Manuel Pellegrini.
But while the red half of Merseyside will go to bed on Sunday night and dream title dreams, Mourinho and his men still have the chance to be the stuff of nightmares, their first win at the Liberty Stadium ensuring the race remains well and truly on.
Here, for more than an hour, even when Swansea were forced to play most of the game with 10 men after Chico Flores’ red card, Chelsea looked to have shot their title bolt.
An early miss by Mohamed Salah, somehow steering wide of the gaping target from 10 yards, summed up a display that lacked art and graft.
And, as so often, as Mourinho has bewailed constantly, the cutting edge that a “real striker” provides. Real or not, though, Chelsea’s line leader did deliver when it mattered.
It was, remarkably, not until the 59th minute, with their 17th attempt of the game, that Demba Ba’s weak effort on the turn ­actually forced a save out of Michel Vorm.
Soon after, though, with the aid of the Dutch keeper,the midweek goal hero against Paris Saint-Germain kept Chelsea on their glory path – and tipped the hosts a little closer to the precipice.
City were exposed far too easily by Nemanja Matic’s ball forward.
Suddenly, Ba – again preferred to Fernando Torres – was one-on-one with Ashley Williams, who allowed the Senegalese to get his left-footer away.
The hitman struck with pace, yes, but surely not the direction to trouble Vorm. But the keeper made a fearful hash of his attempt as the ball squirmed under him and into the net.
That, in reality, was that, for Swansea - still angry about Flores’ red card.
Not, in truth, that they had any cause.
Two minutes after a cynical foul on Willian inside the Chelsea half, the Spaniard chopped down Andre Schurrle on the edge of his own box.
Monk blamed Mourinho and the Chelsea bench for ­pressuring ref Phil Dowd who – after a long delay – correctly sent off Flores.
It confirmed the pattern of the game, with the Londoners pushing and Swansea seeking to strike on the break.
For all that possession, Salah’s horrendous miss and a Gary Cahill header over the top were all that the Blues managed before the break.
But Swansea still forced Petr Cech into making decent saves to deny Pablo, Wilfried Bony and Nathan Dyer.
Mourinho acted, sending on Samuel Eto’o as part of a half-time double swap, although fellow ­replacement Oscar, Ba and the Cameroonian all missed the target before the hour.
And they surely would have disappeared out of the title race had Terry’s shoulder, with the skipper on the floor, not deflected Wayne Routledge’s shot behind.
Enter Ba, the swing of the ­striker’s left foot, Vorm’s error, three more points.

======================

Express:

Swansea 0 - Chelsea 1: Jose Mourinho playing the silent assassin in race for title
Tony Banks

THEIR MANAGER keeps saying they are not contenders - but Chelsea keep coming, keep remorselessly grinding on.
Whatever Jose Mourinho might say - and he didn’t say anything at all after this game - his Chelsea side are not out of this title race. Liverpool may hold the advantage after yesterday’s thrilling win over Manchester City, but Chelsea visit Anfield on April 27 - and that game now has the look of a potential decider.
It was Demba Ba, for the second time in six days, who popped up with the deciding goal at the Liberty Stadium, just as he had on Tuesday night with the late strike that sent Chelsea into the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The big Senegalese has probably been the most ignored of all Chelsea’s much maligned strikers this season, and he will be on his way in the summer - but he has come up with two goals that could prove crucial at the end of this campaign.
Mourinho refused to talk after this first win in four away games because he is still fuming at the FA for being fined for coming onto the pitch at Aston Villa, a punishment which he intends to appeal.
Swansea though will forever claim that referee Phil Dowd’s decision to send off defender Chico Flores for his second daft yellow card in two minutes just 16 minutes into the game, was the key moment.
Dowd took an age to make his decision and Swansea were furious that Mourinho and his staff surrounded fourth official Swansea Robbie Madley demanding a second yellow - as did his players with Dowd.
I'm not doubting Phil - he’s an honest guy. He was probably just taking his time. People asking for red cards in the game happens - what can you do about it?
Manager Gary Monk said: “The most disappointing thing was that he didn’t give it straight away. But their bench surround the fourth official and their players the referee, and then the red card comes - it makes you wonder.
“I’m not doubting Phil - he’s an honest guy. He was probably just taking his time. People asking for red cards in the game happens - what can you do about it?” Chelsea skipper John Terry admitted he spoke to Dowd, insisting: “I just said, ‘It’s a second yellow for me’.
The second one was probably even more a yellow. “Fair play to Phil, it was a big decision and he made the right one.”
In truth though, Dowd’s decision was correct - and Flores, by his sheer stupidity, fatally damaged his team. This was a desperate result for Monk’s side, who now lie just three points above the drop zone, and their game with fellow strugglers Aston Villa on April 26 now looks crucial.
This was far from a vintage performance from Mourinho’s men, who took an age to break down Monk’s gallant side. But when they did, after almost an hour of total one way traffic, Chelsea made sure they claimed the points. And it is that grim efficiency which will have old Stamford Bridge old hand Brendan Rodgers looking over his shoulder.
Mohamed Salah should have given Chelsea an early lead but shot wide from eight yards, but Wifried Bony’s header had to be tipped over by Petr Cech.
Then Flores was booked for fouling Cesar Azpilicueta for his first yellow, and less than two minutes later tripped Andre Schurrle for the second. Even then, Wayne Routledge fired in a shot from 30 yards that Cech had to spring to his right to save. But that was virtually the last Swansea saw of the Chelsea goal.
Oscar almost forced the ball home, Ba flicked across the face of goal, and then Eto’o somehow shot wide.
Swansea, Liberty Stadium, Premier League, News, Sport, Football, Swans, Garry Monk, Wilfried Bony, Chelsea, Jose MourinhoChico Flores was sent off after just the 16th minute for his second bookable offence [GETTY]
Routledge saw his shot deflected wide after a rare break - but then the Welshmen cracked. Nemanja Matic hoisted a long ball over the top, Ba tussled with Williams and won a yard of space, and his low shot went straight through the hapless Michel Vorm and into the net.
Chelsea could and should have added to their score - both Ba and Eto’o going close. But they had a late scare when Jonjo Shelvey’s cross had to be tipped away by Cech.
Other than that, it was job done. Watch out, Brendan, Jose is still around.
Mourinho had demanded his players ignore the result at Anfield to focus on their own performances and captain said: “We obviously knew about it and looking at the result, it’s probably the one we wanted.
“It was important, as the manager said before the game, that we knew that regardless of that result if we don’t win our games we’ll make it very easy for them.
“But we’ve won our game and the pressure is still on the teams above and below us.
“I think patience was the key today especially after they had their man sent off not long into the game.
“Sometimes we weren’t patient or at our best but we got the three points today and we’ll take them home.”

Swansea (4-2-3-1): Vorm 4; Rangel 6, Williams 6, Flores 4, Davies 6; Britton 6 (De Guzman 86 6), Shelvey 6; Dyer 6 (Ngog 73 6), Hernandez 5 (Amat 18 6), Routledge 6; Bony 6
Subs n/u: Tremmel, Taylor, Fulton, Emnes.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Ivanonic 7, Cahill 7, Terry 7, Azpilicueta 7; Ramires 6 (Oscar 46 7), Matic 7; Salah 7, Willian 7, Schurrle 6 (Eto’o 46 7); Ba 8 (Mikel 79 6).
Subs n/u: Schwarzer, Cole, Luiz, Torres.

Referee: Phil Dowd.
Booked: Schurrle, Mikel (Chelsea) Sernt off: Flores (Swansea) - two yellow cards.
Goals: Ba 67 0-1.

Next up: Swansea: Newcastle (a) League, Sat Chelsea: Sunderland (h) League, Sat.

=================

Star:

Swansea 0 - Chelsea 1: Blues keep up with leaders Liverpool in drab win over 10-man Swans

JOSE MOURINHO made the hard job, knocking out Paris Saint-Germain in search of Europe's biggest prize, look almost easy.
By Ralph Ellis

Just five days later his Chelsea team turned the relatively simple task of taking a win from ten-man Swansea into the toughest of labours.
The outcome was the same - Demba Ba getting the goal that mattered most just when you began to wonder if it would ever come.
But a couple of hours after Liverpool had so thrillingly set the title tempo, one-paced Chelsea looked anything but champions.
And Mourinho's fears that his strikers aren't good enough to make a difference when it matters were borne out as they mustered just three shots on target between them.
Thankfully for Chelsea one of them was Ba's goal - a rare piece of incisive play after 68 minutes when he ran on to Nemanja Matic's long pass.
And no doubt skipper John Terry will argue that these are the days that win you titles, dragging a win out when you aren't playing well and the other lot have flung up a defensive blanket.
But then Terry was involved in the game's pivotal moment when he proved that, if nothing else, Mourinho's team are masters of the game's black arts.
The Chelsea captain ran half the length of the field to demand action when Chico Flores brought down Andre Schurrle on the edge of Swansea's penalty area.
The Spanish defender had been booked just 84 seconds earlier after ploughing in to Willian on the half way line, but referee Phil Dowd appeared as if he was not going to give any more punishment.
Dowd appeared to change his mind - brought out his yellow and then a red, and Swansea were doomed to face a further 72 minutes with ten men.
It was probably the right decision, and Swansea boss Garry Monk accepted Dowd's explanation to his coaching staff that he was merely giving himself thinking time.
But having a former England captain chipping in your ear - and The Special One talking to your fourth official - can't help but have an influence.
It was a huge blow to Swansea, just three points above the relegation zone and desperate for points, because they had started the game well.
There were only four minutes gone when Willian was caught in possession by Nathan Dyer, and it ended with Hernandez able to turn too easily and Petr Cech grateful to save.
The Chelsea keeper was in action again, reaching to keep Wilfried Bony's header out of the top corner of his net.
But while the sending off should have been the signal for a side who want to be champions to take control, it wasn't so simple.
Swans boss Garry Monk took off Pablo Hernandez and got his team to sit in and be hard to break down - the sort of thing they will have rehearsed in many training sessions.
The trouble from Chelsea's point of view was that it began to look too much like training for them too, passing the ball without really going anywhere as half time ticked closer.
Playing patience against PSG was one thing, but a bit of urgency could have killed this game dead.
Demba Ba, ChelseaMAN IN FORM: Demba Ba made it two goals in as many games by netting the winner at the Liberty Stadium [REUTERS]
Instead Michel Vorm didn't have to make a save and it was suddenly Swansea who broke away with Wayne Routledge holding the ball up brilliantly before setting up Dyer for a stinging shot which Cech turned away for a corner.
Chelsea's frustrations were summed up when Andre Schurrle got himself booked, dashing around trying to win the ball back as Dyer protected it, and then right on half time Mohamed Salah blazed over from ten yards.
Mourinho brought on Oscar and Samuel Eto'o to try and up the tempo but it didn't change much and the noise began to grow around the stadium as the home fans sensed they might steal a much needed point.
And hour had gone when Eto'o finally got an effort on target, although that was straight at Vorm and within a minute Terry was having to throw himself to block a Routledge shot.
Maybe Swansea's players started to believe in miracles too because they looked for a winner and with 68 minutes gone were punished.
Cesar Azpilicueta took a throw-in near his own corner flag, Matic turned and thumped it forward, and there was Ba to gather the ball and run before firing a shot that took just enough of a deflection off Williams to confuse Vorm.
Mourinho almost immediately took off a forward and made the game safe.
Winning had been hard enough, and he probably knows that, whatever he achieves in Europe, the last four games of their Premier League season are going to be every bit as difficult.