The Albion are straight into this on the front foot. Right from the outset the Swans looking fragile at the back - it’s as plain as day from minute one, that the back three of ‘Fede’ Fernandez, Van der Hoorn and Mawson are slow. Really, really slow. How in God’s name did the lightning quick Liverpool attack not destroy these, like they did us? Baffling.
A standard ball is chipped down the middle. Fede inexplicably ducks under it, then gets out-paced by 34 year-old Glenn Murray. With that warning ignored, the scenario is repeated minutes later – Fede misses it - Murray in behind – clumsily tripped by the lumbering Van der Hoorn. All eyes on Mike – who decides (as he generally does) to play to the home crowd – pointing to the spot with a flourish. Easy decision in truth – the defender, caught the wrong side, made no attempt to avoid the contact.
The Albion number 17 picks himself up, grimaces rubbing his shoulder, then dispatches the spot-kick high down the middle of Fabianski’s goal, then jogs off to ‘celebrate’ with barely a trace of a smile on his beautiful, dour, Northern face. Yes, Brighton. Yes. Exactly the start required. This is massive. Bloody massive.
Swansea look pitiful – there’s a few names out there, but they don’t look like creating a thing. A rare minor scare, speculative shot from distance – looping deflection off Duffy – Maty Ryan alert to it. Then a real flat spell in the game, before two minutes of excitement on half-time, with each side striking the frame of the goal. First Duffy rising to head a Groß corner against the bar, then (J) Ayew striking the foot of the post from 20 yards, before Ollson fires the loose ball wide, with the goal at his mercy. Let off for the Seagulls – half-time parity would have been harsh in the extreme.
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A couple of shifts at the break – Carvalhal sacrificing one of his back three to throw on a winger in Narsingh, and Mike D realising he’d had no attention for half an hour, and having a strong word with himself. Right from the restart, Mike’s A-game was there for all to enjoy – a series of baffling (mostly minor) calls, surely designed solely to generate a bit of atmosphere – culminating in a shocker that almost led to an undeserved leveller. As Groß bore down on the Swan’s back line, he was shoved square in the back, and sent sprawling – Mike pointed at the (entirely incidental) football - leaving Swansea to break forward as anger and bemusement rained down from the stands. The ball was worked to Ki on the edge of the box, to side step Davy Prӧpper, and draw a fine diving save from Ryan. Decent effort from the South Korean – comfortably the Swans’ best player on the day.
From there, the Albion took control. Anthony Knockaert unfortunate – curling cross-shot nestling in the far corner, but chalked off, as Murray a foot off-side when stretching to reach it. Fabianski probably wouldn’t have saved it anyway, but the right call sadly. Pressure building though – terrific interplay between Groß and Izquierdo to tee up Murray – to fire agonisingly wide.
No need for frustration to set in – no mistake next time – Groß flicks to Izquierdo – back to Groß – first time back into the path of the Colombian – brilliant – head up, rolled square, Fabianski out of the equation – Murray side-foot finish. Simple, and beautiful – as you like. Wonderful goal.
Maty Ryan thinks that’s THE goal. Trademark 100 yard dash from the vertically challenged gloveman. Bundle.
Premier League double figures for Murray – outperforming all expectations. What a season he’s having.
The visitors have visibly given up now – no pretence of a fightback – and a minute later the game’s over. Beautifully weighted ball from (inevitably) Groß releases Knockaert into the box, to sell the keeper with his eyes and flick home with the outside of his boot. It’s fair to say Knockaert enjoyed that – launching into an attempted Lua-lua flip, abandoned mid-way for a Tim-Cahill style corner flag punch-up.
Two sprints in a minute too much for Maty – happy to applaud this one from a distance.
Swansea sub, Tammy Abraham (should have signed for a big club, etc) fires in a consolation, with big assists from magic Mike who ignores the most blatant of handballs in the build-up, and Lewis Dunk, unfortunate to divert the strike beyond the reach of the helpless Ryan. Ignore the PL panel – Abraham is welcome to this – forget the nonsense OG stats being bandied about – Dunk has scored ONE this season, at home to Man City. Putting in fantastic block after block and a couple diverting in, does not constitute own goals, to anyone with an ounce of common sense.
If the Welsh fans who hadn’t already melted away thought there was any chance of an unlikely comeback, their hopes were all but immediately dashed. Murray leaves the field to a huge ovation, only for Jürgen Locadia to take up where he left off. Izquierdo dazzles to the by-line, and centres low, behind the new arrival. Dale Stephens arrives, and lashes a low shot back across the goal – Locadia stretching to turn home, for a Premier League debut goal.
Again forget the rubbish stats – Stephens will be credited with this assist – but in reality all about Izquierdo – tremendous performance capped with plentiful end product.
Mike calls time on a superb month for the Albion. Possibly a decisive month. Plenty to do, of course, but the side are performing now, and have given themselves every chance. Great stuff.
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