Swansea lack plan B
Though Monk’s side managed to pull out a victory after a comeback, the Swans did not play at their highest level once again. In the first-half when the visitors lacked creativity and rhythm, it was easy to point out how uniformly they look when attacking. Jonjo Shelvey’s long passes are most of the time useless and Jefferson Montero is the only player attacking with the ball at his feet, creating six crosses from which none were completed.
What Swansea needs is a bigger role for Sigurdsson, who is either giving all the balls towards Montero and not getting any for himself. With striker Bafetimbi Gomis being the most often off-sided player in the Premier League, Monk must make him more mobile for his teammates and Ayew must be more often playing upfront, with his great goal-scoring potential and flair.
Gueye shields poor Villa
Idrissa Gueye almost never seemed as important for Aston Villa’s game as he was on Saturday. Though his side eventually lost the match, the Senegalese defensive-midfielder was in the mood to make an impact. His defensive performance was impeccable. Four successful tackles in as many attempts were important in stopping Sigurdsson and Ayew, who did not have a great game until both scoring from the only chances they had.
Gueye also recovered the ball on six occasions, all of them in the area where Sigurdsson and Ayew were mostly operating. The center of the midfield was his part of the pitch during the match, letting nobody pass him by. Villa seemed safe for the most part and that was, to a large degree, Gueye’s merit.
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