Talking Tactics | Top five individual performances of 2022-23
Having taken a look at Swansea's five best-rated players in the Championship last season, WhoScored.com turn their attention to the best-rated individual performances by Swans stars in a 2022-23 league game.
5. Joel Piroe - 8.71 v Wigan (a)
On Easter Monday, Swansea travelled to the DW Stadium to face relegation-threatened Wigan as the Swans sought to extend their unbeaten run to four matches.
The Latics had been in fairly respectable form ahead of the welcome of Russell Martin's side, having lost just one of their previous four, and that was against promotion chasing Sheffield United.
The match may have been a potential banana-skin for the Welsh side, but a first-half double from Joel Piroe put to bed any doubts of a slip up. The Dutchman hit the back of the net with two of four shots, and was unfortunate not to bag a first half hat-trick having struck the woodwork shortly before the break.
Two dribbles and two tackles saw Piroe return a WhoScored.com rating of 8.71, the fifth best by a Swansea player last season.
4. Joel Latibeaudiere - 8.81 vs Norwich
Swansea enjoyed a solid end to the season, and this sets them up nicely for the 2023-24 campaign. Indeed, they saw out the campaign with a nine-match unbeaten run, winning seven, one of which was at Norwich on April 22.
The Canaries were reduced to 10 men shortly before the break, but by then the damage had already been done.
The Swans ran out 3-0 winners, with right-back Joel Latibeaudiere the star man on the day. The 23-year-old set Swansea on their way to victory, opening the scoring midway through the first half with his only effort on goal of the day.
Russell Martin's men dominated at Carrow Road, with Latibeaudiere finding a teammate with 120 of his 124 attempted passes, and he was difficult to get the better of, making three tackles and one interception. The youngster, then, was good value for a WhoScored.com rating of 8.81.
3. Joel Piroe - 8.93 vs Birmingham
Swansea endured a difficult start to 2023, winning two and losing eight of their 12 matches to ring in the New Year.
One of those was - for the neutral anyway - an entertaining 4-3 defeat at home to Birmingham, where Swansea conceded twice late on to succumb to a heartbreaking loss. Nevertheless, the game saw Joel Piroe put in yet another star display.
The 23-year-old was directly involved in all three Swansea goals on home turf, netting either side of Liam Cullen's strike, for which he provided the assist.
Piroe scored with two of five shots, while the assist came from one of two key passes as the Swans hitman returned a WhoScored.com rating of 8.93.
2. Olivier Ntcham - 9.11 vs Bristol City
The game that kickstarted Swansea's impressive end to the 2022-23 campaign. Bristol City made the short trip over the River Severn to take on the Swans in a lunchtime kick-off in mid-March.
The Robins themselves hadn't been in great form, yet must have fancied their chances of getting the better of Martin's men.
However, if there was a script, Olivier Ntcham certainly didn't read it. The Cameroon international was directly involved in both goals that afternoon, following up his assist for Liam Cullen's 34th-minute opener with a second-half strike to put the result beyond Bristol City.
Those came from respective returns of one key pass and three shots, and Ntcham was a real handful for the Robins backline, completing four dribbles, to yield a WhoScored.com rating of 9.11.
1. Joel Piroe - 9.88 vs Preston
With a WhoScored.com rating of 9.88, Joel Piroe put in the best-rated performance by a Swansea player in a Championship game last season.
The Flying Dutchman was on hand to put the Lilywhites defence to the sword as the Swans ran out 4-2 winners against Preston during their end-of-season unbeaten run.
Like against Birmingham, Piroe was again involved in three goals, scoring two and providing the assist for Joe Allen's strike 10 minutes before the break.
Piroe mustered as many shots as Preston (6) that night, and the assist came from one of two key passes. The former PSV Eindhoven man also completed four dribbles to cap a fine showing at the Swansea.com Stadium.