Swansea City vs West Brom match report: Nathan Dyer scores twice as Swans win third game in a row
Swansea City 3 West Bromwich 0
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Your support makes all the difference.Earlier this week Swansea’s manager, Garry Monk, chided Roy Hodgson for not coming to watch his England-qualified players.
On this evidence, the Three Lions manager should think about making the trip down the M4 to the Liberty Stadium.
In a week when the likes of Fabian Delph, Jack Colback, Calum Chambers and Danny Rose earned England calls, the Swansea trio of Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge and Jonjo Shelvey provided compelling evidence they are worthy of consideration as Hodgson rebuilds.
Dyer grabbed two goals, Routledge scored with a stunning effort and Shelvey dictated play in midfield to give Swansea their best start to a season in 91 years thanks to four wins, from three League fixtures and the midweek League Cup tie against Rotherham.
Monk said: “You have to watch them if they are to get selected, but they can only do what they are doing. They have to keep improving and make it difficult for any international manager not to pick them.
“I think they should be in on form, but maybe I am biased. I truly believe they are performing well, but my concern is Swansea and how they perform for Swansea. I know Roy has never come to the stadium while being England manager, but that is not my concern.”
West Bromwich had also entered the game unbeaten, but they never looked like extending that record once they fell behind after just 87 seconds. Gylfi Sigurdsson’s backheel for Dyer should have been dealt with by Jonas Olsson, but the Albion defender slipped as he lost a stud, allowing the winger to tiptoe past Ben Foster and fire into an unguarded net.
Alan Irvine’s side were all at sea, and were fortunate not to slip further behind when Wilfried Bony headed a Shelvey cross over the bar from close range. But there was no reprieve in the 24th minute. Chris Brunt’s errant pass went to Sigurdsson, and when Craig Dawson headed the Iceland international’s cross out to Routledge the winger produced a sensational improvised volley to leave Foster no chance.
It would have been 3-0 at half-time had Olsson’s misjudged defensive header dropped an inch lower instead of striking his own bar.
Irvine, who completed his 11th summer signing with the acquisition of Sebastian Blanco before kick-off, sent on Stéphane Sessègnon for the wayward Graham Dorrans, but it made little difference. When Sigurdsson’s delicate pass freed Dyer, the former Southampton man slid his third goal of the season below Foster to seal victory.
Irvine said: “We could not have had a worse start; you spend a week trying to get ready, prepare a game plan and somebody slips. You cannot legislate for that.”
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