Sigurdsson gives the struggling Swans a cruel reminder of just what they are missing
NO-ONE needed reminding what Swansea City are missing. And yet, as cruel as it was predictable, Gylfi Sigurdsson did so.
It happened so often when he wore white, providing a moment of excellence when it was needed.
True to form, in a game missing much quality, the former Swansea hero did so again.
Only this time it offered more hurt rather than the hope it used to provide as it helped his new side to a 3-1 win that adds to the worries at the foot of the Premier League table. Who to turn to now?
Paul Clement spoke in the week of needing “difference-makers” in the January transfer window, players who can turn defeats into draws, draws into wins.
Sigurdsson, a periphery figure wide on the left for much of this match, is one of them as his goal handed Everton the lead for the first time and ensured the comeback victory was on.
Leroy Fer had opened for Swansea ten minutes before the break, deserved reward for what had been an encouraging start to things.
As has been the case too many times, a switch off in concentration allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to level, pouncing as Lukasz Fabianski superbly saved a Wayne Rooney penalty.
Then, as Swansea aimed to pick up a result that would at least keep momentum going into Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace, so came Sigurdsson.
Past one man, another touch towards the edge of the area, and a brilliant right foot into the corner.
There was no celebration and there was no shortage of shrugs from Swansea supporters who had expected it.
Moments earlier they had seen Tom Carroll – Sigurdsson’s set-piece replacement – take a short corner in front of them that saw Swansea play it nowhere and allow Everton off from defending their line.
It says much about the confidence of the side at the moment and Clement needs to pull out all the stops to ensure it doesn’t leave them at a critical point of the season and, quite possibly, his reign.
Swansea are now four points short of safety and a glance at the fixture list for the last weekend before Christmas only hammers home the importance of the game with Crystal Palace. Another home match, another must-win affair.
And though there was again some encouragement, Swansea again must be better.
Worryingly, there will be questions as to whether Wilfried Bony will be fit for that game, one already huge in significance before this.
Bony, who had complained of a tight hamstring during last week’s defeat to Manchester City, was on the pitch longer for the warm-up than the game itself, withdrawn with only four minutes on the clock after pulling up in a first minute tussle with Williams.
Given Everton’s defensive resurgence under Allardyce, and Swansea’s well-documented difficulties in finding any attacking assertiveness, it did not bode well.
That said, it didn’t appear to overly affect Swansea’s relatively ambitious opening. Luciano Narsingh – one of three changes to the side that were swatted aside by City – was given repeated invitations to attack the space behind Cuco Martina and gleefully galloped to accept them.
The end product was missing – a couple of shots that didn’t really trouble and the wrong option taken once or twice – but it did push Swansea up the field quicker.
In what was presumably a ploy, Everton also opted to stand off and allow Swansea to have a feel of the ball, seeing Swansea slowly build confidence.
The problem was that, too often, it was slow.
Again the passes weren’t quite quick enough to make more of things, just as the intensity wasn’t quite enough off the ball.