Swansea 0 - 3 AFC BournemouthJosh King seals easy Bournemouth win to leave Swansea rooted at the bottom
Away team scorersBenik Afobe 25
Ryan Fraser 45 +0:48
Joshua King 88
As an advertisement for the Swansea City manager’s job, this was about as damaging as it gets. Outplayed and well beaten, Swansea looked like a side totally resigned to relegation as they slipped to a fourth successive defeat that leaves them anchored to the bottom of the Premier League table, without a manager and, on this evidence, without any hope of survival.
If Paul Clement is still mulling things over as to whether to accept Swansea’s offer to replace Bob Bradley – the word before the game was that talks are ongoing with the Bayern Munich assistant manager – the 44-year-old will take no encouragement whatsoever from anything that Swansea produced here.
First-half goals from Benik Afobe and Ryan Fraser, followed by a late third from Josh King, allowed Bournemouth to ease to the most straightforward of away wins on a day when Jack Wilshere showed some lovely touches in an advanced midfield role. In truth the margin of victory could have been even wider, such was the gulf between two clubs that set out to play the same way but are heading in totally opposite directions.
Next up for Swansea is a trip to Crystal Palace on Tuesday and it remains to be seen whether a permanent manager will be in place for that game or if Alan Curtis will be asked to continue as caretaker. Gary Rowett, the former Birmingham City manager, is still in contention for the post and the back-up choice for the Swansea board should Clement decide that it makes more sense to be top of the Bundesliga as Carlo Ancelotti’s No2. It would be hard to argue with Clement if he decided that was the case, because Swansea appear doomed.
Yet again it was an awful piece of defending that led to Swansea going behind in the first half. It was the 14th time in 19 Premier League matches that Swansea have conceded the first goal and no surprise that Jordi Amat was heavily involved. Amat had been dropped from the team for the 4-1 defeat at home against West Ham United on Boxing Day after a catalogue of errors but the Spaniard was recalled here and never looked comfortable from the start.
He tried and failed to stop Wilshere with a reckless challenge and when the ball was passed to Fraser, in space on the Bournemouth left, it was Amat who hopelessly miscued, spearing the ball towards his own goal. Lukasz Fabianski managed to keep it out, but Afobe was there to turn in the rebound, pivoting six yards out to sweep the ball past the Swansea goalkeeper with his left foot.
Bournemouth were in total control, playing more like the home team as they controlled possession for long periods. Harry Arter and Andrew Surman were running midfield, Wilshere was causing problems in the pockets of space just in front of that pair and it was no surprise when the visitors added a second in first-half injury-time.
From Bournemouth’s point of view it was brilliantly worked, full of slick passing and fluid movement that encapsulates what Eddie Howe’s side are all about. Arter, Simon Francis and Junior Stanislas linked up neatly on the Bournemouth right. Wilshere then returned the ball to Stanislas and when the Bournemouth winger delivered a low, inviting cross into the six-yard box there was only one outcome. Fraser bundled home and Bournemouth were coasting.
Swansea had threatened only sporadically before the break. Fernando Llorente headed Kyle Naughton’s cross wide three minutes before Afobe scored but that was a rare first-half attack. Most of the time Swansea were chasing shadows, unable to get close to Bournemouth as Howe’s side moved the ball around with confidence. Stanislas, shooting from just inside the area, forced Fabianski into a fingertip save in the 19th minute and came close to adding a third shortly after the restart, with Wilshere once again the architect.
Clearly enjoying himself, Wilshere wreaked havoc again moments later, breaking from just inside the Swansea half to set up another chance, this time for Afobe, who wastefully swept his shot high over the bar. The former Arsenal striker saw another opportunity go begging when Fabianski smothered at his feet as Bournemouth chased the goal that would kill the game.
Oli McBurnie, on as a substitute for the injured Llorente, was a touch unlucky with a header that Artur Boruc held onto at the second attempt as Ki Sung-yueng tried to turn in the loose ball, yet Swansea were never close to turning this game around and Bournemouth predictably added a third. King, who replaced Fraser in the second half, sprinted onto Charlie Daniels’ through ball to beat Fabianski. Swansea are staring into the abyss.
Guardian
