Ten-man Chelsea held Swansea City to a 2-2 draw in their Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge tonight.
A free kick from Oscar and a Federico Fernandez own goal, either side of Andre Ayew's equaliser, saw the champions boast a slender lead at the break.
Thibaut Courtois saw red on 52 minutes for fouling Bafetimbi Gomis inside the box, before the Frenchman rolled home an equaliser to earn a point.
Here, Sports Mole analyses how the game was won in West London.
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Match statistics
CHELSEA
Shots: 11
On target: 3
Possession: 52%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 15
SWANSEA
Shots: 18
On target: 10
Possession: 48%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 16
Was the result fair?
While Chelsea have to be admired for how deep they had to dig in order to leave with a point, the truth is that Swansea were comfortably the better team and the above statistics illustrate that.
Courtois's red card gave the hosts a purpose, having looked unmotivated for the first 52 minutes as the Swans dominated. Garry Monk's side undoubtedly did enough to win the game but the hosts' industry and resolve must be noted and respected.
Chelsea's performance
Jose Mourinho cannot have expected a test as rigourous as this to kick off the 2015-16 Premier League season. In his pre-match notes, the Portuguese manager heralded the return of "real football" after the champions endured a disappointing pre-season campaign in which they lost three times. Be careful what you wish for, Jose.
Swansea dominated the early stages and if not for Gomis's profligacy, Mourinho's men would have been two down inside 15 minutes. Moments later, Diego Costa looked to have a strong penalty appeal rejected by referee Michael Oliver. New hairstyle but the same temperament from the fiery striker, who repeatedly thumped the ground in frustration to perhaps encapsulate the Blues' early struggles.
They earned a 2-1 half-time lead through Oscar's deceptive free kick and Fernandez's freak own goal - two moments which appeared to paper over cracks as the Blues were exposed early in the second half. City were far and away the better team as Chelsea continued to struggle after the break, and a major talking point came on 52 minutes when Courtois brought down Gomis inside the box, before the Frenchman rolled an equaliser past Asmir Begovic from the penalty spot.
By virtue of the visitors' potency going forward, Mourinho elected against battening down the hatches and saw attack as the best form of defence. Oscar - arguably Chelsea's best player on the day - was withdrawn when Begovic came on and Eden Hazard slowly but surely found the type of form that saw him win PFA Player of the Year last term. In the end it was not enough to inspire a team that still do not look ready to defend their crown.
Swansea's performance
With a performance like that, it is no wonder why Mourinho paid a glowing tribute to his opposite number in his pre-match press conference on Friday. Swansea came eighth last season for what was their highest ever finish to a top-flight season, but Monk - who was the Premier League's youngest manager last term - on Thursday stressed that survival was still his main priority. Based on tonight's display it would seem as if the young coach might be forced to have loftier ambitions after out-playing the champions.
They seemed up for a fight from kickoff and could - and should - have scored twice when Gomis headed wide from a corner, before fluffing a one-on-one with Courtois inside 15 minutes. Chelsea scored when Oscar's free kick deceived Lukasz Fabianski but Monk's men continued in the same vein and levelled when Ayew - on his Premier League debut - produced a sublime bit of composure with a slick drag-back before finding the corner of the net from close range.
Fernandez's fluke own goal gave Chelsea a 2-1 lead heading into the break, but the visitors carried on in the same vein when play resumed and deservedly levelled when Gomis fired home the penalty on 52 minutes after Courtois saw red. From there, it was one-way traffic, with the excellent Jefferson Montero forcing Begovic into a string of impressive saves.
Mourinho paid Monk and his troops a compliment by continuing to attack despite being a man down, perhaps in the belief that he could not afford to revert to a defensive mentality given how dangerous the visitors looked.
They left with a point in the end but Monk will now find it harder to justify speaking about 40 points when asked about his team's aspirations this season.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Jefferson Montero: The Ecuadorian winger produced a scintillating display tonight, and the way in which he troubled the stellar Branislav Ivanovic should worry virtually every right-back in the Premier League. Gomis showed plenty of character to respond after being the villain of the piece from a Swansea perspective in the first half, but Montero was the stand-out candidate for man of the match.
Biggest gaffe
It is a case of take your pick from a number of first-half gaffes from Gomis, who missed two gilt-edged chances at 0-0 before conceding the needless foul that led to Chelsea's opener through Oscar. But it has to be Courtois, who saw red just seven minutes after the break.
Referee performance
Oliver is bound to play a starring role in Mourinho's post-match comments but the truth is that the young referee enjoyed a solid game.
He rejected Costa's penalty appeal in the first half, with replays proving that the official made an excellent decision, before sending off Courtois after being given little choice by the Belgian goalkeeper. He booked four players in total - John Terry, Ashley Williams, Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Cork - and despite the inevitable vitriol from Mourinho, Oliver can be proud of his performance.
What next?
Chelsea: It gets far more serious for Mourinho and co next Sunday as they travel to the home of Manchester City.
Swansea: City, meanwhile, host Newcastle United at the Liberty Stadium next Saturday.
Shane Callaghan
