Chelsea kept alive their hopes of winning the Premier League title on Boxing Day thanks to a 1-0 win at home to Swansea City.

The decisive moment of the match came on 29 minutes when Eden Hazard fired the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Both teams had chances during an open second half, but it was the hosts who managed to hold on for the three points.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two sides on a nervy afternoon Stamford Bridge.

Match statistics:

Chelsea:
Shots 19
On target 7
Possession 45%
Corners 13
Fouls 14

Swansea:
Shots 8
On target 1
Possession 55%
Corners 7
Fouls 9

Was the result fair?

Chelsea deserved to come away with the points due to the fact that they created more chances than their opponents, but they certainly made hard work of it. Some poor finishing from the home side allowed Swansea to have a chance of nicking something from the game, though the visitors failed to capitalise.

Chelsea's performance

Excuse the cliche, but this really was a game of two halves for Chelsea. They were dominant during the opening 45 minutes as they frequently carved Swansea open with some slick attacking play. Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata all linked well in the final third, while Samuel Eto'o showed his experience by getting into decent positions as the lone striker. However, the team looked nervous after the break as they seemed unsure whether to stick or twist with regards to their slender lead. That said, the match could have been over by half time as the hosts squandered numerous chances in front of goal - something which is sure to concern Jose Mourinho.

Swansea's performance

The Swans appeared slightly overwhelmed in the first half as they struggled to deal with the fluid football of Chelsea's attack. The visitors were second best in all areas of the pitch, but that all changed after the restart. Michael Laudrup's side were bolder as the game wore on and could have snatched an equaliser were it not for some disappointing decision-making up front.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Oscar: Chelsea's Brazilian maestro was a constant threat going forward with his quick movement and clever eye for a pass, but he frequently demonstrated a new aspect to his game by covering back in defence and showing no fear in making a strong tackle or two.

Biggest gaffe

Chelsea had a glorious chance to extend their lead seconds after the restart when Samuel Eto'o got on the end of Juan Mata's teasing cross. However, the striker could only aim his volley straight at Gerhard Tremmel from all of six yards.

Referee performance

Michael Jones halted play unnecessarily one too many times by blowing up for meaningless fouls, but the official allowed the game to flow for the majority of the afternoon.

What next?

Chelsea: The Blues return to Premier League action on Sunday when they welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge.

Swansea: The Swans can get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday with a trip to Aston Villa.