Arsenal, you haven’t got a Clucas
ON THIS evidence, Arsene Wenger needs Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and he needs him quickly.
Whether or not the incoming £55million striker would have made a difference on a filthy night in South Wales remains a matter open to conjecture after Sam Clucas’ double made sure for the Swans.
But Wenger’s Arsenal produced another woeful display, the sort that must have their fans tearing their hair out.
The visitors were neat and tidy – as they always seem to be – but struggling Swansea were the more dynamic and were deserving of the three points.
Petr Cech’s howler gifted the home side another priceless victory, the goalkeeper making a total hash of Shkodran Mustafi’s backpass and allowing Jordan Ayew to slot home a simple second goal.
It followed Clucas cancelling out Nacho Monreal’s opener, the former then adding a late sealer for the hosts as the Liberty Stadium rocked to a second successive home win.
Swansea are now out of the bottom three for the first time since November 4 and they deserved it.
To the surprise of many, Arsenal had included new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan only among their substitutes as the game started.
Alex Iwobi and Mesut Ozil were given the role of supporting Alexandre Lacazette up front.
Swansea were unchanged from the team who beat Liverpool last week.
A five-man home defence was again charged with causing an upset – and that they would do.
Swansea had the first real chances. A home breakaway saw Nathan Dyer sprint clear. Ayew was in support but his effort deflected wide for a corner.
Minutes later Dyer’s cross found Clucas at the far post and only a fine block from Aaron Ramsey prevented him from tapping home to open the scoring.
Two quick opportunities gave the home crowd belief and a third soon chance arrived. Leroy Fer drove into space and slipped in Clucas, who was through on goal.
The former Hull man went down under the challenge of Mohamed Elneny, appealed for a penalty but seeing the shouts waved away by referee Lee Mason. Ki Sung-yueng was the next to go close, whistling a shot wide from distance.
Swansea were growing in confidence. Centre-half Mike van der Hoorn summed that up, charging forward and delivering a cross that Arsenal’s Elneny had to put out for a corner.
At the other end, former Gunner goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski saved from Iwobi and, after Ayew went on a mazy solo run, both teams scored in quick succession. Arsenal went ahead against the run of play. It was a simple goal, one Swansea would have been disappointed with.
Ozil’s languid ball from the right escaped the home defence and left Monreal to steal in at the back post.
Less than 60 seconds later, the Swans were back level. Clucas was the scorer but Alfie Mawson took the credit for a superb pass that put his team-mate through.
Fer wasted a glorious Swansea chance just before the break, shooting weakly on target when a
pass to the onrushing Ayew would have been the better option. Granit Xhaka had also blasted over, but watched on by American owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, Swansea started the second half as they ended the first.
Ozil nonetheless had a shot saved by Fabianski before Mkhitaryan was finally introduced on the hour.
The timing could not have been worse. Almost immediately Arsenal were 2-1 down after Cech’s howler. It was woeful stuff from the visitors, Wenger wearing a look of bewilderment.Dyer should have put Swansea further clear, grazing the post, but it did not matter. Arsenal passed and passed, but Clucas rubbed salt in the wound late on.