Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesSwansea started their scoring with another classy finish from Michu.

Swansea didn't have much of the ball, and fewer chances on goal than you could count on one hand, but the Swans still managed to frustrate Chelsea 2-0 and get a big result.

- Swansea hands Chelsea first-leg upset

The clean sheet was the fruit of 90 minutes of well-organised defensive labour and a little bit of luck as Chelsea missed a few chances, had a penalty appeal turned down and a goal disallowed for offside. The two goals the Swans stole came once again from opportunistic pressing high up the field. Chelsea centre-back Branislav Ivanovic was twice the fall guy as first Jonathan de Guzman forced a sloppy pass for Michu to finish, and later substitute Danny Graham pounced on another.

Graham continues to be Swansea's man of the moment; more precisely, Swansea's 90-minute man. The striker has now scored four goals in four games, the last three all coming in or around the 90th minute. It is hard to tell if the striker, who has recently been associated with transfers to any one of half a dozen different clubs, is playing so well to prove his worth to his manager or to raise some interest from his supposed suitors in pursuit of his last big contract. Whatever the case, it is once again to the Swans benefit, and although Graham didn't get the game-winning or equalizing goal this time, the extra tally will make the second leg that much harder for Chelsea.

Chelsea need to reverse the scoreline just to see extra time and possibly penalties at the Liberty. They'll need to score three to win in normal time, and only two clubs have managed to score more than twice against the Swans in Wales this season. Only two clubs managed it all of last season. So far this season, Everton scored three in a lopsided game, helped by several dubious refereeing decisions, and Norwich scored four largely from set-pieces. Neither game was exactly Swansea's finest hour.

The Swans are not as likely to sit back and defend at home either, although their defensive discipline was key at Stamford Bridge. Gone was the passivity and vulnerability on display against Arsenal in the FA Cup tie last week. Although the Swans did defend deep, they didn't defend so deep as to invite too much danger to cope with. The defensive line generally held at the edge of the 18-yard box, as it should, never collapsing three and four feet into the penalty area as against Arsenal. Swansea's solidarity and high line at the back kept Chelsea's playmakers in check, although the late introduction of Demba Ba ruffled some feathers.

The 2-0 advantage should be enough to see the Swans into their first ever league cup final, where they'd face either Aston Villa or Bradford. Of course, they're not there yet, and still have to play 'the second half' of the semis. At home, the Swans will be more likely to open up and attack Chelsea, who have not won in Wales since the Swans joined the Premier League. It'll be a good test of the Swans' collective mettle; they have staked themselves to an unlikely 2-0 lead with a couple of away goals to their credit, now they need to show they can finish the job.

Final Thoughts :

Positives: Solid defensive line. Gerhard Tremmel again strong in relief. Swans' luck held, as it must when a side defends for 90 minutes.

Negatives: Late use of subs means slightly more fatigue to worry about later.

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