Swansea 2 - 1 Manchester United

Swansea 2 - 1 Manchester United

Swansea: Sung-Yeung Ki 30, Bafetimbi Gomis 73

Manchester United: Aguera Ander Herrera 28





Statistics insist that Manchester United are the best team in the Premier League on recent form, but the table doesn’t lie and Chelsea and Manchester City are both clearly superior on this evidence.


Swansea beat United 2-1 back in August and deservedly completed the double with goals from Ki Sung-yueng and a winner credited to Bafétimbi Gomis, although the late contact with which he diverted Jonjo Shelvey’s 25-yarder may have been involuntary.

United had taken the lead through Ander Herrera, but were left rueing only their second defeat in their past 20 matches in league and cup.

Swansea made much the more assertive start and threatened to take the lead in the fourth minute, when Gylfi Sigurdsson’s corner from the right was met at the near post by Gomis, whose firm header across goal was cleared off the line by Herrera.

The United defence failed again to combat a second corner delivered by the Icelander from the same quadrant, resulting in another chance for Gomis, whose header was wastefully off target this time.

And with the game only a quarter of an hour old the Swans had a third opportunity to score when Wayne Routledge shot straight at David de Gea after a clever nutmeg by Gomis.

United, less cohesive, replied with a weak, mishit strike at close range from Wayne Rooney and a Robin van Persie drive which was well wide. In the 28th minute however they scored, somewhat fortuitously and against the run of play, when a shot from Herrera was deflected in by Ashley Williams’s reaching left foot.

The Swans were deservedly level within two minutes, Shelvey’s cross from the left turned in by Ki for the Korean midfielder’s fifth goal of the season.

Ki was back again early in the second half, demanding a decent save from De Gea at whites-of-the-eyes range.

In need of attacking thrust, Louis Van Gaal replaced both his full-backs with wingers. Antonio Valencia took over from Paddy McNair on the right while on the left Luke Shaw gave way to Ashley Young. It was like for like in positional terms, with Valencia and Young stationed either side of the back four, but their contribution on the overlap was much greater and United were on top from half time until the 72nd minute.

Then the Swans took the lead with a goal out of nothing, Shelvey letting fly from 25 yards in the inside right channel and the ball deflecting past De Gea via Gomis’s involuntary headed contact.

They held on to their lead without real difficulty to record a league double over their distinguished opponents for the first time.


By Joe Lovejoy, Guardian