Season in review: August
With the season over, we take a month-by-month look back at the 2018-19 campaign for Swansea City under Graham Potter. Here, we start at the beginning all the way back in August.
Sheffield United 1 Swansea City 2
August 4 2018 - Championship
Graham Potter had been Swansea City manager for barely seven weeks when the 2018-19 season got under way in early August.
Following a major overhaul of his squad, which would continue throughout the remainder of the month, the Swans travelled as underdogs to face a Sheffield United side who had been well in the hunt for promotion the previous campaign.
On a lovely summer evening at Bramall Lane, the Swans had trailed to George Baldock’s goal.
But the introduction of Jefferson Montero at just that moment turned the game, with Oli McBurnie levelling with a rebound from a flowing team move.
And the visitors snatched all three points when Yan Dhanda – 29 seconds after coming on and with his first touch in senior football – fired home the winner to start delirious celebrations in the away end.
Swansea City 1 Preston 0
August 11 2018 - Championship
Swansea had seen more senior players depart in the build-up to this game, but Potter’s men made it two wins from two thanks to Jay Fulton’s header.
With Joe Rodon making an impressive debut at centre-back, the hosts started strongly and were awarded a penalty when Alan Browne fouled Barrie McKay in the area.
McBurnie saw his spot-kick saved, but the Swans responded to the setback and took the lead when Fulton’s glancing header from Joel Asoro’s cross gave the Scot his first league goal for the club.
The hosts had to weather heavy pressure amid diabolical conditions in the second half but held on to claim the three points.
Keeper Erwin Mulder kept a clean sheet on his debut after coming on for the injured Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Birmingham 0 Swansea City 0
August 17 2018 - Championship
Swansea head to the Midlands to face former boss Garry Monk and his Birmingham side in high spirits, but were put firmly on the back foot at St Andrew’s to leave Potter admitting his side had been lucky to escape with a point.
The hosts wasted chance after chance during an opening half where they were firmly on top, pressing and harrying the Swans into errors in possession.
Lukasz Jutkiewicz, Omar Bogle and Jota were among those to spurn chances or be denied by Mulder, who made a string of fine saves to help keep the Swans’ unbeaten start to the season going.
Swansea City 2 Leeds 2
August 21 2018 - Championship
Swansea ended Leeds’ 100 per cent start to the season as they more than played their part in a thrilling, high-octane encounter under the Liberty lights.
The Swans started brightly and scored a wonderful opener on the counter-attack as McKay and Bersant Celina set up McBurnie for a well-taken opener.
They were pegged back by Kemar Roofe before the break but hit back as McBurnie produced a fantastic looping header from Martin Olsson’s deep cross.
The hosts looked on course for three points, but Leeds capitalised on a defensive slip as former Swan Pablo Hernandez scored the leveller.
Swansea City 0 Bristol City 1
August 25 2018 - Championship
Swansea suffered their first defeat of the season as Andreas Weimann’s first-minute goal gave Bristol City the win at the Liberty.
The former Aston Villa forward converted Niclas Eliasson’s cross with just 31 seconds on the clock and the Robins went on to have the better of the opening half.
They also managed to keep the hosts at arm’s length at the other end, with a late Swans surge not enough to conjure an equaliser.
Swansea City 0 Crystal Palace 1
August 28 2018 – EFL Cup
Alexander Sorloth scored the only goal as a young Swans side exited the Carabao Cup against Premier League Crystal Palace.
A Swansea team which saw five players make their debuts, and another two do so from the bench, gave a good account of themselves and had a number of promising moments.
Daniel James went closest to a goal for the hosts but it was the Eagles who advanced.
