Swansea beat Sunderland to get off bottom with Llorente brace

Swansea climbed out of the relegation zone with a vital 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Sunderland.

The game was a cagey affair and didn’t see either team have a shot on target until the 51st minute, which was the opening goal, but after that came to life. Gylfi Sigurdsson had that shot from the penalty spot, shooting down the middle after Jason Denayer had blocked a cross with his arm.

Sigurdsson then turned provider three minutes later when he played a low corner into the path of Fernando Llorente who slotted the ball into the far corner.

Sunderland were rattled and never recovered. A second goal for Llorente, who nodded home a Jefferson Montero cross with ten minutes left, made sure of the three points.

The result lifts Swansea to 17th and relieves some of the pressure on Bob Bradley, while David Moyes and Sunderland are now bottom again.

Has Bradley got Swansea back on track? It’s been a tough week for the Premier League’s first American manager, with the win over Crystal Palace quickly forgotten, so this result was much needed. They were helped by a Sunderland capitulation and some stupid defending, especially from Denayer when giving away the penalty, but he still deserves credit for the way his side kicked on and put the game beyond doubt.

Keeping a clean sheet, having conceded 16 goals in their last five games, was also significant. This was just one game, against a side now bottom of the league, but there is plenty for the Swans to build on.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City). His crossing was the one thing of true quality in the match. He struggled to influence the game from open play, but was better in the second half when he took up more wide positions. He set up Llorente with a smart corner and would have had more assists had Jordi Amat's finishing and later Jordan Pickford denied him. He also deserves credit for holding his nerve to convert the penalty and, while not at his best, was the difference between the two sides.

50 – PENALTY! Routledge's cross hits Denayer's arm, which was raised above his head, and Swansea have a spot kick.

51 – GOAL! Swansea 1-0 Sunderland. Sigurdsson steps up and goes straight down the middle, with Pickford having dived to his right, giving Swansea the lead.

53 – SAVE! Sigurdsson's through ball finds Barrow whose his well-hit shot from close range is excellently saved by Pickford.

54’ – GOAL! Swansea 2-0 Sunderland. A Sigurdsson corner is intentionally played along the ground and into the path of Llorente who tucks it home to double the lead.

80’ – GOAL! Swansea 3-0 Sunderland. Game over. Montero turns Jones inside-out before dinking a cross from the byline which Llorente nods home from just a couple of yards out.

Swansea City: Fabianski 7, Taylor 6, Amat 6, Mawson 6, Rangel 6, Britton 7, Fulton 6, Routledge 6, Sigurdsson 7, Barrow 6, Llorente 7. Subs: Montero 7, McBurnie 5.

Sunderland: Pickford 7, Van Aanholt 6, Kone 6, Djilobodji 5, Jones 5, Pienaar 5, Denayer 5, Ndong 6, Larsson 5, Anichebe 5, Defoe 6. Subs: Januzaj 6, Manquillo 5, Kirchhoff 5.

In the seven games Craig Pawson has refereed at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea haven’t conceded a goal.

Sigurdsson has netted in three of his last four Premier League appearances.

Swansea have only lost one of their last nine Premier League games against Sunderland.

This is David Moyes’ first loss to Swansea in the top flight.