Swansea City vs Newcastle United. Premier League.
Swansea.com StadiumAttendance19,874.
Tuesday 28 July 2020 09:42, UK
A goal in each half from Papiss Cisse earned Newcastle a hard-fought 2-0 win at Swansea to move within two points of third-placed Arsenal.
A goal in each half from Papiss Cisse earned Newcastle a hard-fought 2-0 win at Swansea to move within two points of third-placed Arsenal.
Alan Pardew's men had little of the ball in a workmanlike display but showed all of the cutting edge as Yohan Cabaye twice fed the Senegalese striker to score.
Cisse has now bagged seven goals in his last four games and his penetration was the difference between the sides.
The result keeps Newcastle's UEFA Champions League hopes alive and showcased all of their battling qualities as Swansea dominated possession.
Brendan Rodgers' side stuck to their passing principles, having as much as 80 per cent of the ball before the break.
But Newcastle restricted the home side to speculative long-range efforts and appeared content to allow Swansea the ball in deep areas.
The game-plan worked as early as the fifth-minute when Cisse fired home from the away side's first meaningful attack.
And there was no way back for the Swans when the striker curled the ball home beautifully for his second after the break.
Sigurdsson had an early chance for the hosts but he could only screw his shot wide after Nathan Dyer had dispossessed Demba Ba.
And Newcastle showed how it should be done as they stunned the home crowd by taking the lead.
Cabaye produced a classy first-time through-ball to find Cisse and although Swansea keeper Vorm got a hand to the striker's low effort, he could not keep it out.
Swansea responded as Angel Rangel blazed high and wide after Dyer's neat dummy, while Joe Allen shot straight at Tim Krul.
But Newcastle's threat was clear to see as Hatem Ben Arfa released Ba, but Steven Caulker got back to make a sharp block.
Newcastle were content to sit back on their lead, allowing Swansea to dominate possession, and one extended incisive passing movement ended with Krul beating away a powerful Sigurdsson drive.
Caulker headed over the bar from the resulting corner before Mike Williamson became the first man in the book after a crude challenge from behind on Luke Moore.
Krul held Sigurdsson's long-distance effort from the ensuing free-kick and James Perch blocked another strike from the dangerous Iceland international late in the first half, with Newcastle struggling to get out of their own territory.
Pardew introduced Ryan Taylor at the interval in place of midfield anchor Cheick Tiote and his side came close to conceding an equaliser inside 60 seconds.
Dyer twisted and turned on the edge of the area to again tee up Sigurdsson, whose low shot was deflected just wide of Krul's left-hand post.
Swansea piled the pressure on and Krul was helped by a slice of fortune as Allen's drive flicked off Williamson, struck the keeper and flew away to safety.
Newcastle then lost Ba after the forward appeared to pick up an ankle injury, with Shane Ferguson his replacement.
But the visitors reminded their hosts that they were still a threat as Ben Arfa led a smart breakout that saw Cisse drag an effort just wide of goal.
Needing to find a spark, Rodgers summoned Graham and Sinclair for Dyer and Moore as his side's search for an equaliser intensified.
But, having failed to heed the earlier warning, they fell further behind in the 69th minute as Cabaye again combined with Cisse, with the striker delicately lofting the ball over Vorm into the far corner while off balance.
Swansea's frustration increased as Graham failed to pull the trigger after Sigurdsson had picked the forward out, before the on-loan midfielder could not hit the target from distance.
Rangel then headed wide to sum up their day.
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