Swansea City at struggling Aston Villa
Tim Sherwood appears on the brink at Aston Villa after Andre
Ayew struck late to secure Swansea City a 2-1 win at Villa Park.
Jordan Ayew scored his first Villa goal to put the hosts in front
seconds after his brother Andre missed a fine opportunity at the
other end, although the elder Ayew would make amends.
Villa's advantage lasted only six minutes before Gylfi
Sigurdsson curled in a fine free-kick to level the scores.
The home side had the better opportunities in the first half with
Rudy Gestede missing a handful of half-chances, but they were
unable to record their first Premier League win since the
opening day.
Swansea came into the contest in poor form but won on the
road for the first time this season, although Bafetimbi Gomis'
goalless run stretched to a sixth game.
But when Kyle Naughton raided forward at the death, Andre
Ayew was on hand to slide home his cross for a goal that sealed
Villa's sixth successive Premier League defeat.
Although Villa started strongly in the early exchanges,
Sigurdsson had the first sight of goal, shooting wide with Brad
Guzan scrambling to his left.
Jefferson Montero was giving Alan Hutton a test down
Swansea's left flank in the early minutes and Federico
Fernandez should have scored from one of many Swans
corners won by the winger, but the defender sliced wildly over
the bar from six yards.
With both teams struggling in the Premier League, tension
threatened to boil over on the half-hour. Fernandez and Micah
Richards clashed off the ball and Ashley Williams also got
involved, with Williams and Richards booked by referee Neil
Swarbrick following a melee.
Villa threatened either side of the interval, Gabby Agbonlahr
curled wide before Gestede was caught on his heels from
Leandro Bacuna's cross.
Jonjo Shelvey released Bafetimbi Gomis into the area, but the
Frenchman could not break a five-game duck and fired wide of
the far post.
The striker was soon in again with a carbon-copy run and he
picked out Andre Ayew, but Guzan was out rapidly to block the
shot.
Villa opened the scoring seconds later on the break when
Jordan Ayew was left unmarked to head Agbonlahor's cross
beyond Lukasz Fabianski after a rapid break.
But Sherwood's side failed to hang on yet again, having
spurned leads against Sunderland and Leicester City recently,
and they were pegged back just six minutes later as Sigurdsson
curled an inch-perfect free-kick over the wall and beyond Guzan
Jordan Ayew went close to snatching the win for Villa, but it
was heartbreak for the home fans as the striker's brother Andre
popped up at the opposite end, sliding in to convert Naughton's
cross, leaving Sherwood to cut a forlorn figure as boos rang out
around Villa Park upon the full-time whistle.
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