Diego Costa scored his 16th Premier League goal of the season to put Chelsea 11 points clear at the top of the table.
Costa struck in the 85th minute to seal victory after Pedro had put Chelsea ahead after 72 minutes following a horrible mistake by Swansea keeper Lukasz Fabianski.
That ruined Swansea’s hopes of getting a point from Stamford Bridge after Fernando Llorente’s header cancelled out Cesc Fabregas’s opener.
But Chelsea’s persistence eventually paid off as they took full advantage of Manchester City having the weekend off to extend their lead at the top.
Swansea will feel hard done by as referee Neil Swarbrick did not give a penalty when Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta was guilty of a clear handball with the score still 1-1.
But the Blues are now heading into the home straight well clear of the field.
One chance, one goal and it throws up a debate over who is the best striker when it comes to headers in the Premier League.
Llorente just ghosted onto Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free kick, lost his marker and headed brilliantly beyond Thibaut Courtois.
Llorente has been vital in Swansea’s improved results, a top quality centre forward and there are few better in the air. Who else? Andy Carroll, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Christian Benteke. I’d take Llorente’s aerial power over those guys
The home side dominated from the outset with Cesc Fabregas dictating proceedings from the middle of the park.
And it was the Spaniard who opening the scoring in the 19th minute when he collected a pass from Pedro and poked a shot into the far corner.
Swansea struggled to get out of their own half but they stunned the ground when on the stroke of half-time Fernando Llorente headed home from a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick.
After the break, Chelsea continued to come forward and Fabregas hit the cross bar from another Pedro pass.
There was controversy in the 69th minute when a flick by Sigurdsson struck Cesar Azpilicueta's arm in the box but the referee did not award them a penalty.
And three minutes later Fabregas set up Pedro and the winger's shot bounced away from Fabianski's desperate dive and into the net.
Diego Costa then sealed all three points and ensured Chelsea stretched their lead in the Premier League to 11 when he slammed home a left-footed shot on the volley from a Eden Hazard cut-back.
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