Oscar, Costa score a brace each as Blues maintain five-point lead atop Premiership points table
Costa two good: Chelsea striker Diego Costa (right) gets past Swansea City goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (in yellow) to score his second goal during their English Premier League match at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales on Saturday
London: Chelsea sent out an emphatic Barclays Premier League title warning as Jose Mourinho's side stunned Swansea by winning 5-0 at the Liberty Stadium.
Costa two good: Chelsea striker Diego Costa (right) gets past Swansea City goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (in yellow) to score his second goal during their English Premier League match at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales on Saturday. Pic/AFP
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Oscar and Diego Costa both scored twice inside the first 36 minutes as leaders Chelsea opened up a five-point gap on nearest challengers Manchester City, who welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and substitute Andre Schurrle completed the rout late on as Swansea suffered their worst home defeat for 24 years.
Hosts disjointed
Swansea had sold top goalscorer Wilfried Bony to Chelsea's title rivals Manchester City in midweek and there was a disjointed look about the hosts with Leon Britton, Ki Sung-yueng and Jonjo Shelvey all missing from their midfield for differing reasons.
Gylfi Sigurdsson was dropped into a deeper role with Portuguese striker Nelson Oliveira handed his first start following his loan move from Benfica, but the formation did not seem to suit Sigurdsson as he gave away possession in the opening minute.
Oscar strode forward and lashed home a 20-yard shot which flew past Lukasz Fabianski in the Swansea goal and was timed at 49 seconds. Sigurdsson almost equalised immediately with a 25-yarder which hit the outside of the post. Cesc Fabregas then slipped in Diego Costa — the Spaniard's 15th league assist of the season, for 2-0.
The third goal arrived after 34 minutes when Federico Fernandez's dreadful pass gave Costa the simplest of opportunities to tuck away his 17th league goal of the season. Two minutes later and it was No 4 as Willian scampered through the middle to find Costa and his cut-back allowed Oscar to finish with ease.
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