SWANSEA CITY 2, MANCHESTER UNITED 1
Manchester United slumped to their first defeat of the season at Swansea City after surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 for the third time in succession against Swansea.
The last three three league defeats have come while under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal but this was United’s fourth 2-1 defeat to Swansea in five games in all competitions.
“It was very disappointing.” admitted Van Gaal who had taken change of United for the 50th game at Swansea.
“We were dominating for 85 minutes and in five minutes we lost the game.
“That can’t happen. It’s a big blow because the result is not according to what we have seen as a game.”
Goals by Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis overhauled a Juan Mata opener to deny United a chance to go second and close to within two points of league leaders Manchester City as they instead dropped down to fifth position.
They were leapfrogged by Swansea who went fourth following their win which also raised serious questions about the quality of Sergio Romero in the United goal.
Mata had given United the lead in the 48th minute after rounding Swans captain Ashley Williams shortly after the restart and smashing the ball into the roof of the net following a Luke Shaw cross.
The Swans were rattled and could have been 2-0 down shortly afterwards after Williams’ badly sliced clearance had to be saved by Lucasz Fabianski.
But the home side regained their composure to level matters in the 61st minute when Ayew’s downward header beat Romero at the far post after Gylfi Sigurdsson’s assist capped a fine counter attack by Swansea when Wayne Rooney gave the ball away allowing Williams to pick out the Iceland midfielder.
Gomis had earlier hit the post but continued his Swansea scoring run to earn his fourth goal of the season in four consecutive league games (nine in his last ten) five minutes later after striding onto Ayew’s through ball to slot past Romero at his near post.
The Argentine ‘keeper had already been under pressure for handing Jonjo Shelvey a shooting chance, which the Swansea man wasted, in an entertaining but goalless first half with his poor distribution.
Romero will also be under the spotlight for both Swansea goals and, with the David De Gea situation remaining unresolved, United will be under pressure to make the most of the remaining two days of the summer transfer window if David De Gea leaves Old Trafford.
“I think it’s ridiculous that the transfer window is still open and we have four matches behind our back and Champions League games.” complained Van Gaal.
In truth, Romero wasn’t the only United player to under perform on the day as they looked slow and predictable for much of the game.
The Reds didn’t even have to deal with the dangerous Jefferson Montero who had been ruled out of today’s game with a thigh injury sustained in training yesterday.
Rooney had already wasted good chances in the game but didn’t really test Fabianski and squandered a late chance to salvage a point for United but Williams earned full redemption for his earlier mistake and delivered another well timed tackle to deny the United captain as he tried to get a sight on goal.