Swans’ boss pins survival hopes on win against Stoke

SWANSEA boss Paul Clement believes the visit of Stoke next weekend is a “must-win” game for his side as they remain embroiled in the battle for Premier League survival.

The Swans lost 1-0 at Watford in a poor game yesterday, Etienne Capoue scoring the only goal after robbing Alfie Mawson of possession on the edge of the penalty area.

Mawson’s dawdling proved costly as the Hornets saw out the game to take the win and move on to 40 points, all but assuring themselves of another season in the top flight.

Yet the defeat, a fifth in six games, leaves Swansea inside the bottom three and two points from safety with just five fixtures remaining.

They welcome Stoke to the Liberty Stadium next weekend and Clement feels his side need to take all three points after the Potters beat 17thplaced Hull to keep the gap at two points.

He said: “I believe must-win game.

“With five games to go we are more than likely going to need to win three of those and who will know if even that will be enough.

“I believe we can win three out of five games, we have won four out of six.

“Hull have not won so that is a bonus but also a missed opportunity as if we had got the result we would have been out of the bottom three.”

Clement was less than impressed with Mawson’s error and revealed the 23-yearold was feeling the pain of costing his side at least a share of the spoils at Vicarage Road.

He added: “He is very disappointed. He knows he made a big mistake and we hope he wil not do that ever again.

“My assessment is that overall defensively in the game we were okay.

“It is clear what happened with the goal. It was an individual error and it came at a bad time.

“It is not something you expect from your central defender in that area of the pitch.” it is a Swansea City manager Paul Clement