Chelsea FC: 5 Things We Learned from Draw with Swansea City

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Chelsea stole a point on their trip to Swansea City, and it taught us a lot about the Blues.

They looked pretty terrible for much of the 90 minutes, but they left Liberty Stadium with a point, which could end up keeping them in the Champions League.

Obviously, it's a little too early to start thinking this point is that meaningful, but it is definitely something to consider.

The match was an ugly one, but we learned plenty about Andre Villas-Boas' side. Here is a shortlist of the things we learned.

Can't Defend Set Pieces Well

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Even though Jose Bosingwa helped Neil Taylor save the day with an extremely late winner, he's not off the hook for his gaffe on the goal.

In the 40th minute, on a set piece, Bosingwa was unable to head the ball clear, leading to Scott Sinclair scoring the opening goal of the match.

Bosingwa had a chance to get a good head on the ball, but he was unable to do so. He headed the ball into the ground, which gave Sinclair the chance he needed to put the home side ahead.

John Terry wasn't present in the back four, but that doesn't mean the team shouldn't be able to clear a relatively harmless cross.

In a mostly solid defensive game, one mishap led to the only goal conceded.

Chelsea didn't need to give up a goal, but Bosingwa's poor header led to that single goal.

Fernando Torres Is Mentally Broken

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I wouldn't say Fernando Torres played uninspired against Swansea City.

That would be an insult to those who play uninspired.

Torres was downright awful against the Swans. He was lazy, didn't put pressure on the defense and looked completely uninterested in the result.

Look, I understand that he's going through one of the harshest goal droughts of his career. I know that he's been mercilessly scrutinized by the media since he came to Chelsea.

But none of that excuses his play.

Regardless of his luck, Torres had always been playing hard. For that, I defended him to everyone. Now, with that type of effort, I can't say I have Torres' back anymore.

He needs to figure his stuff out. Otherwise, he needs to be sent packing in the summer, without a single regret, other than buying him in the first place.

Michael Essien Still Has Something to Offer

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Was it just me, or did Michael Essien look pretty good against Swansea City?

Obviously, he didn't look like the Essien of old. Still, he was confident on the ball, and he looked much more poised than anyone on the pitch not named Juan Mata.

Essien looked a little old out there, but he definitely looked dangerous. He nearly scored, and more importantly, he kept feeding the ball to the wings, helping the attack stay constant.

He'll never be the great player he once was. However, Essien could still have a big impact on Chelsea's season.

He looked good against Swansea. As he plays more and more, he will get sharper and look better with each passing match.

It could be optimistic, but I think Essien still has something to add to this Chelsea team.

Romelu Lukaku Should Get a Chance

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Romelu Lukaku only played 10 minutes (about 15, with stoppage time), but he didn't look too bad.

He hustled, put pressure on the defense and was able to get a shot on goal. The shot was relatively weak, but let's not get picky, especially considering a follow by another striker (Fernando Torres?) could've resulted in a goal after the bobble.

Lukaku's size and speed was evident from the moment he stepped on the pitch. He was an imposing force, and despite not contributing to the goal, he seemed dangerous.

If Torres is going to trot around the field, and Drogba is at the African Cup of Nations, why not give Lukaku a chance?

There's no reason not to, especially because the 18-year-old could be a revelation.

Still Can Steal Points

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Despite playing one of the worst matches of the year, Chelsea received a point.

That could be huge.

Even at (arguably) their worst, the Blues stole a point. That's the difference between a decent club and a good club.

Swansea City, by all accounts, are one of the best teams in the bottom half of the table. However, they couldn't quite secure the three points, which is an extremely tough thing to do.

Swansea are a good side, but they couldn't keep Chelsea off the score sheet. Even though it was an own goal, the Blues did what was necessary to get that goal. It was ugly, but it worked.

Let's hope Chelsea don't play that poorly again this year. However, if they do, but they get some points, they have a very good chance of qualifying for next year's Champions League.