30/08/2015 15:00 v Manchester United

19th June

The Swans secured their third successive victory over Manchester United as they triumphed 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium.

Garry Monk's side completed a stunning comeback after goals from Andre Ayew and Bafe Gomis overturned Juan Mata's opening strike.

After an evenly-fought first half, Mata put the visitors in front shortly after the interval, hitting home from close range from Luke Shaw's cross.

But parity was restored on the hour mark when Ayew scored his third goal of the season, heading beyond Sergio Romero from Gylfi Sigurdsson's pinpoint delivery, before Gomis fired the Swans in front five minutes later - his fourth goal in as many games.

Victory moved the Swans up to fourth with eight points from four games as the Premier League takes a break for international fixtures.

Lukasz Fabianski was called into action inside the first minute of proceedings as Memphis Depay tested the Polish international’s reactions with a low free-kick from 25 yards.

Despite a bright start by the visitors, it was the Swans who came close to lighting up the Liberty through Sigurdsson and then Gomis.

After Mata had spurned an opportunity at one end, Sigurdsson stroked just wide of goal after the ball had trickled through for him inside the box, before the in-form Gomis hit the outside of the post following an impressive solo run.

With 15 minutes left of the first period, Wayne Rooney was then sent through on goal, only to chip his effort straight into the arms of Fabianski, before Ander Herrera dragged an effort from range wide of goal.

The visitors opened the scoring just after the restart when Mata hammered home at the back post after the Swans failed to clear Shaw’s cross from the left flank.

And it was nearly 2-0 to United just moments later as Ashley Williams’s skewed clearance looked to have lobbed Fabianski, who just about managed to tip the ball away, before the stopper then denied Mata at his near post.

But despite coming under pressure early on in the second half, the Swans were back on terms on the hour mark when Ayew headed home from Sigurdsson's sweet centre.

Monk's decision to switch formation to a diamond in midfield proved an inspired one, and five minutes later, his side completed the turnaround when Gomis beat Romero after latching on to Ayew’s superb through ball.

That meant the Frenchman became the first Swans player to score in the club's opening four league games of a season since Harry Deacon in 1923.

The Swans were forced to soak up late pressure from Louis van Gaal's side, with skipper Williams performing heroics to scupper Rooney as the English striker went through on goal.

And that was enough to secure a dramatic victory as Monk's men moved up to fourth with eight points from four games.

 


SWANS: Lukasz Fabianski, Kyle Naughton, Federico Fernandez, Ashley Williams (capt), Neil Taylor, Jack Cork, Jonjo Shelvey (Kyle Bartley, 89), Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Routledge (Ki Sung-Yueng, 58), Andre Ayew, Bafe Gomis (Eder, 81).
SUBS: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Angel Rangel, Kyle Bartley, Franck Tabanou, Nathan Dyer.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Sergio Romero, Memphis Depay, Juan Mata (Ashley Young, 70), Wayne Rooney (capt), Chrsi Smalling, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera (Marouane Fellaini, 76), Luke Shaw, Morgan Schneiderlin (Michael Carrick, 70), Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian.
SUBS: Sam Johnstone, Javier Hernandez, Antonio Valencia, Paddy McNair.