Swansea City vs. Manchester City: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
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Sergio Aguero bagged a brace on his return from suspension to help Manchester City beat Swansea City 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. Aguero scored in each half, with his second coming from the penalty spot to cancel out Fernando Llorente's first-half equaliser for the hosts.
Raheem Sterling confirmed the points with a well-earned third inside the final 15 minutes. Manager Pep Guardiola's City have now stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points.
Star striker Aguero was back from suspension for City. He was joined by Spanish playmaker David Silva and ball-playing centre-back John Stones, per the club's official Twitter account:
Meanwhile, Llorente led the line for the Swans, while Dutchman Leroy Fer and ageless schemer Leon Britton commanded midfield, per the club:
Predictably, the visitors got on the ball early and often. Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho helped the Citizens boss possession, exchanging neat interchanges of passes in little triangles.
It was Fernandinho, outstanding so far this season, who turned steady possession into incisive football. His lofted ball released right-back Bacary Sagna, and the former Arsenal man's cross was suavely tucked in by Aguero.
BBC Match of the Day confirmed Aguero's sensational scoring run in England's top flight:
Sky Sports Statto detailed how prolific City's main man has been during this calendar year:
The goal came just before the 10-minute mark, and the game already looked like a rout.
However, Swansea are no slouches, and they soon regrouped to show their own capabilities on the ball. The Swans' midfield trio started to cut off the away side's passing lanes, with Jack Cork all energy alongside Fer. Meanwhile, when Britton was in possession, Swansea shifted the ball with speed and imagination.
A quick equaliser was just reward for Swansea's revival. It came on 13 minutes after a mistake at the back from Sagna, according to Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News:
The Premier League's official Twitter account relayed a snap of Llorente's decisive finish:
City weren't quite at their free-flowing best. Their stunted first-half performance was best summed up by Kevin De Bruyne and Gundogan spurning excellent chances players of their considerable quality would be expected to score every time.
It meant Guardiola's men had to settle for being level at the break.
City did step up the pace in the second half, though. Their passing was slicker and more incisive, yet their finishing was still wayward.
Surprisingly, it was Aguero who was next to fluff his lines in front of goal. His inexplicable miss to ruin a tidy move made Brennan fear the worst for City:
However, he needn't have worried. Aguero soon had the chance to redeem himself after Mike van der Hoorn tussled with De Bruyne in the box.
Aguero was coolness personified from the spot, lifting a delicate chip over Lukasz Fabianksi to restore City's lead. The advantage was stretched further when Sterling rounded off a swift counter after a Swansea corner.
OptaJoe showed how much Sterling's end product has improved since Guardiola took charge:
Meanwhile, Squawka charted De Bruyne's stellar form as City's chief supplier of goals:
City cruised through the final 10 minutes. Another win featured their now trademark quality on the ball, but this victory was more notable for the resilience shown by Guardiola's men.
Swansea scrapped and tested them with plenty of quality, but the Citizens proved there's a tougher edge to their game—and such determination will be vital in this season's title race.
Post-match reaction to follow.
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