BACK DOWN TO EARTH WITH HEAVY BUMP FOR THE SWANS
BACK down to earth with a bump for Carlos Carvalhal and Swansea City, and with it comes the arrival of a potentially pivotal moment. This was a miserable afternoon at the Amex Stadium, no doubt about it.
A Glenn Murray brace, plus goals from Anthony Knockaert and Jurgen Locadia provided a sobering reminder of why Swansea are having to fight for their lives again this season.
This equalled the heaviest defeat Swansea have suffered against one of the Premier League new boys since their own arrival in the top-flight in 2011.
Only last season’s 3-0 loss at Middlesbrough equals it, and it could easily have been worse during a final 15 minutes there the visitors – topheavy with attacking options – looked vulnerable every time the Seagulls poured forward in search of more.
It was enough to see the Swans fall back into the bottom three on goal difference, ending a 10-match unbeaten run under Carvalhal and puncturing that sense of momentum that had been building behind the Welsh club.
Swansea have been here before, and herein lies the crucial test ahead for the Portuguese and his players.
Last term Swansea had done well to clamber out of the bottom three under Paul Clement and faced a run of six games which – negotiated successfully – could have broken the back of the survival task.
One point from 18 followed and only an astonishing run over the final five games saved Swansea.
This time around, can Swansea ensure this is only a blip? Can they absorb the disappointment and make sure they make a rapid return to winning ways against West Ham next weekend.
It has largely been one way traffic under the former Sheffield Wednesday boss. Swansea have been headed in the right direction, herein arrives the first major setback.
A test of mental resolve and resilience lies ahead, because Swansea got what they deserved here and Carvalhal held his hands up to accept his share of the responsibility.
The 52-year-old has always spoken of being brave and always wanting his side to push to win games.
It has worked for him already in his short tenure, notably at Watford and in the manner of the performance in that wonderful win over Arsenal.
But it bit him back here, as his decision to send on three attacking substitutions with Swansea a solitary goal down came up short and his side found themselves stretched to breaking point over a final 25 minutes where it became a question of how many the hosts would score past the woefully unprotected Lukasz