MX23RW : Monday, December 23 09:24:43| >> :120:32645:32645:

Player Ratings: Swansea City 2-1 Manchester United

Sports Mole rates the performances of those involved in Swansea's 2-1 win at home to Manchester United in the Premier League.

Manchester United were beaten for just the second time in 16 Premier League games on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat at Swansea City.

The visitors took the lead on 28 minutes through Ander Herrera, but Ki Sung-yueng equalised for the home side just two minutes later.

United heaped plenty of pressure on their opponents in the second half, but it was the Swans who scored the decisive goal 17 minutes from time when Jonjo Shelvey's strike deflected off Bafetimbi Gomis and into the net.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the individual performances of those involved at the Liberty Stadium.


Jonjo Shelvey of Swansea City scores their second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester United at Liberty Stadium on February 21, 2015© Getty Images

SWANSEA

Goal

Lukasz Fabianski: Did not always look commanding, but he was usually there when it counted. Had only three shots on target to deal with. (7/10)

Defence

Kyle Naughton: Had a very quiet game, particularly in the second half when the visitors dominated. Could have done a lot more to get forward when his side were on top. (5/10)

Federico Fernandez: Looked commanding at the back as he linked up well with Williams to stifle United in the final third. (7/10)

Ashley Williams: Led by example in defence. Kicked, blocked and headed everything that came his way during a stellar defensive display. (9/10)

Neil Taylor: Contributed more than his fellow full-back Naughton. Showed good stamina to get up and down the pitch when it became an end-to-end match. (7/10)

Midfield

Ki Sung-yueng: Did an excellent job of anchoring Swansea's midfield, hampering the likes of Rooney and Herrera. Took his goal well thanks to a deft finish past De Gea. (8/10)

Jack Cork: Struggled to get involved for large parts of the game, though his physicality played an important part as the afternoon wore on. (6/10)

Gylfi Sigurdsson: The usually-influential midfielder failed to impact the match on his return from suspension. Did little to write home about before he was brought off with 15 minutes left. (5/10)

Jonjo Shelvey: A familiar performance from Shelvey as he drifted in and out of the match before helping to provide the key moment. (6/10)

Wayne Routledge: The winger's industry in wide areas was impressive, while he also asked regular questions of the United defence when he drifted inside. (7/10)

Attack

Bafetimbi Gomis: Huffed and puffed for most of the afternoon, though he was often let down by some disappointing service. That said, he was in the right place at the right time to score the winning goal. (6/10)

Substitutes

Jefferson Montero: Worked hard when he came off the bench with 15 minutes left, helping the Swans to see out the contest. (6/10)

Jordi Amat: Was on the pitch for a matter of seconds before the final whistle was blown. (5/10)


Ander Herrera of Manchester United celebrates scoring the opening goal with Wayne Rooney of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester United at Liberty Stadium on February 21, 2015© Getty Images

Man Utd

Goal

David de Gea: Came to United's rescue on a couple of occasions with some good saves, but could do little about the two goals. (7/10)

Defence

Paddy McNair: Looked solid enough during the first half before being harshly replaced during the interval. Should have been given longer on the pitch. (6/10)

Marcos Rojo: Did not always provide the visitors with the kind of calm that they needed in defence. Should have scored midway through the second half, but instead headed over the crossbar from close range. (6/10)

Phil Jones: Put in a couple of important challenges when Swansea were on top in the first half. Came off the pitch without an injury, which is a bonus. (7/10)

Luke Shaw: Showed good attacking intent down the left flank before he was taken off with an hour played. (7/10)

Midfield

Daley Blind: A modest afternoon for the Dutchman, who kept United's midfield ticking over with some neat passing and decent positional play. (6/10)

Ander Herrera: Got involved in nearly all of the away side's attacks and showed little fear in getting stuck in when Swansea had the ball. (7/10)

Angel di Maria: The Argentine's deliveries from wide areas were a joy to behold from a United perspective. Deserved at least one of them to be converted. (7/10)

Marouane Fellaini: Was used as the target man for much of the game and made life difficult for the Swansea defenders. Could have found the net on another day. (7/10)

Attack

Wayne Rooney: Linked well with Di Maria and Herrera when the visitors surged forward. Was unlucky not to find the net on a couple of occasions. (7/10)

Robin van Persie: Was given little to feed on up front, though his cause was not helped by some poor movement in the final third. (6/10)

Substitutes

Antonio Valencia: Came off the bench at half time to inject some pace into the side and made a good go of it as the visitors cranked up the pressure after the break. (7/10)

Ashley Young: Made some dynamic runs down the left wing during the final 30 minutes after replacing Shaw. (7/10)

Juan Mata: Had 11 minutes to make a difference, but the Spaniard failed to provide his side with the magic that they needed. (6/10)


ID:206896: cacheID:206896:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:9264:
Written by
Jack Prescott
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Swansea player Ki Sung-Yueng scores the first Swansea goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea City and Manchester United at Liberty Stadium on February 21, 2015
Read Next:
Match Analysis: Swansea 2-1 Man Utd
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!