Swansea 1 - 1 West Ham

Swansea 1 - 1 West Ham

Mark Noble 74 o.g.

Andy Carroll 43



Andy Carroll has scored only four goals this season – three of them against Swansea. The former England centre forward struck twice in the corresponding fixture at Upton Park five weeks ago and plundered the Welsh club’s defence again for what looked like a high-class matchwinner until Mark Noble’s late equaliser into his own net.

It was a tale of two of the most powerfully destructive strikers in the Premier League. Carroll is back to something like the form which won him international recognition, but Swansea’s equivalent, Wilfried Bony, is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty and without him their attack has lost its potency. His replacement, Bafétimbi Gomis, has just one goal to show for 18 Premier League appearances.

Bony was not the only notable absentee. The Swans were also without Ki Sung-yueng, Jonjo Shelvey and Jefferson Montero, for various reasons, while West Ham had their leading scorer, Diafra Sakho, injured and Cheikhou Kouyaté on Cup of Nations duty with Senegal.

It was West Ham who coped best with their losses. Deployed in wing-back formation, they stymied Swansea, negating their close passing game and controlling play for long periods. So much so that Adrián had only one save to make in a barren first half – and that a routine collection of Gylfi Sigurdsson’s weak sidefooter.

Comfortable as they were, West Ham were no more effective as an attacking force until the 43rd minute, when Carroll fastened on to Stewart Downing’s left-wing cross then made room for himself on the 18-yardline to shoot across Lukasz Fabianski and into the keeper’s left corner. The goal was superbly taken, but dreadful from the defensive viewpoint. Carroll was able to hold off Ashley Williams to win the ball with his chest, then evaded a feeble challenge by his namesake, Tom Carroll, before twisting and turning to embarrass Federico Fernández before getting his shot away.

In the second half Garry Monk substituted both his wingers and Swansea shifted up a gear, but James Collins should have doubled the margin when he headed wastefully wide at the far post before the equaliser arrived. In the 74th minute, Sigurdsson’s corner from the left was met at the near post by Gomis, whose twisting header hit the far upright and bounced down against Noble, whose involuntary contact deflected it in.

West Ham put in a strong finish, Carl Jenkinson demanding a notable save from Fabianski from distance, Neil Taylor clearing off the line from James Tomkins and Carroll going desperately close at the death.

Guardian