Manchester City won back-to-back games away from home for the first time this season, as they downed a spirited Swansea side 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium to celebrate 2014’s arrival in style.
City took the lead through Fernandinho in the first half but on the stroke of the interval Wilfried Bony equalized for the Swans with a great header. After the break Manuel Pellegrini’s men flexed their attack-minded muscles superbly as Yaya Toure and Aleksandar Kolarov both scored in quick succession to make it 3-1, before Bony’s late strike made the match look closer than it was.
With the victory City momentarily went top of the league, as they have 44 points from their 20 games so far. As for Swansea, they remain in 11th and sit just five points above the relegation zone.
It was an even start at a rainy Liberty Stadium, as the visitors had the first effort at goal when Alvaro Negredo fed Edin Dzeko who swept his shot just wide of Swansea’s goal.
But the home side started well and an effort from Bony flew just wide of Joe Hart’s right-hand post after five minutes, as the lone striker got an early sight of goal. Soon after a setback hit the home side as Pablo Hernandez was forced off with a hamstring injury, he was replaced by Belgian international Roland Lamah after just 10 minutes.
Moments later Fernandinho opened the scoring as Samir Nasri’s corner was cleared only to the edge of the box, where City’s Brazilian midfielder was waiting to smash home a low drive to put his side 1-0 up. City threatened to double their lead on several occasions during the first half, as Jesus Navas and Nasri on both wings created plenty of problems for Swansea’s defense.
To their credit the Swans kept going as Jonjo Shelvey and Julian de Guzman both went close midway through the first half following patient build up play from the home side. But City always looked more dangerous as Dzeko’s effort on the half hour mark was deflected just wide by Chico Flores. At the other end Bony once again came close, as he struck almost a carbon copy of his first effort which flew just wide of Hart’s post.
But he wasn’t to be denied, as Ivorian striker Bony scored for the first time in seven games right on the interval, heading home from De Guzman’s delicious cross from the right to make it 1-1 at the break. Despite City looking comfortable for most of the match, it was Swansea who were in the ascendancy at the break.
Early on in the second half Negredo caused havoc in the box but the Spanish striker couldn’t finish after a defensive mix up at the back nearly put Swansea behind once again. Soon City raced away, with Toure bursting into the box after 55 minutes and hitting a shot that deflected off Ashely Williams and into the net to put City 2-1 ahead.
Less than 10 minutes later it was 3-1 as the Citizens’ fine goal-scoring record continued into 2014. Left back Kolarov picked up the ball on the left flank and drive down the line, before cutting inside and smashing home an effort with his right foot for his first PL goal in over a year.
City were rampant after that but Swansea looked dangerous on the odd occasion as Bony stung the palms of Hart with the Swans looking to pull a goal back and make it interesting. However that goal didn’t arrive until the 91st minute, when Bony grabbed his second of the match with a sensational drive from outside box to pull Swansea within one goal of City.
However, it proved to be too little, too late.
LINEUPS
Swansea City: Tremmel, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Davies, Canas, de Guzman, Shelvey (Pozuelo, 81), Hernandez (Lamah 10), Routledge, Bony
Goals: Bony (45 &90)
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Kolarov, Navas (Rodwell, 90), Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Nasri (Milner, 70), Negredo (Garcia, 60), Dzeko
Goals: Fernandinho (14), Toure (58), Kolarov (66)
