Swansea City secured their third consecutive win over Manchester United on Sunday, ending the away side’s unbeaten start to the season. Here are four things we learned from the encounter:
1) Swansea are building a fantastic attack
Garry Monk is assembling an affective and multi-dimensional attack in his Swansea team, which is causing havoc for opposition sides. That showed in the goals they scored, with Andre Ayew heading in between United’s two central defenders before Bafetimbi Gomis slid the ball into the net after getting behind the defence.
The Swans also hit the post in the first half from Gomis, whilst players like Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Routledge were often providing alternative options behind the strikers.
2) Sergio Romero isn’t at David de Gea’s level
It might be something a lot of people had thought beforehand, but Sergio Romero’s goalkeeping for Swansea’s second goal today proved he is not the outstanding ‘keeper United need.
Bafetimbi Gomis went through on goal for the Swans’ second goal, but at a tight angle, there was no certainty the powerful striker would score. Chris Smalling’s presence even limited the forward to a tame effort, but it still slipped through the Argentine’s fingers to win the game for the home team. It appears Romero is not an exceptional shot stopper in the same way de Gea is.
3) Luke Shaw is currently United’s most penetrative player
Luke Shaw has made a fantastic start to the season, not only in terms of his defending, but in his ability to drive forward from full-back, too. However, that highlighted United’s lack of penetration, and perhaps creativity, in the final third.
Shaw made several powerful runs forward down the left side, and it was from one of those dangerous drives towards goal that the English full-back crossed for United’s goal.
No-one else seemed to be beating their man as often for the away team though, and Swansea’s equalising goal came when Shaw was running back from an attack. It is not a criticism of the Englishman, rather a United attack lacking in players willing to beat a man at present.
4) Garry Monk’s tactics are spot on in big games
They drew with Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season and did the double over Arsenal and Manchester United last season, before beating the latter again today. Garry Monk and Swansea are earning something of a reputation for upsetting the top sides, and deservedly so.
Monk’s Swansea were a match for United throughout and, even when Juan Mata put the opposition ahead, the Swans’ boss reacted to tweak his side’s shape. Ki Sung Yeung came on for Wayne Routledge, pushing Andre Ayew
forward into a position from which he scored the equalising goal.
His side were rarely troubled by their opponents after taking the lead- testament to the defensive qualities in the South Wales side.
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