The Blues had to come from behind after Wilfried Bony had given the visitors an early lead, but goals from Stevan Jovetic and Yaya Toure secured a vital 2-1 victory for Manuel Pellegrini’s men.
There were encouraging signs for the Blues who looked inventive and bright throughout the game, though the Swans played their part in an entertaining game.
If you believed all the hyperbole surrounding City going into this game, you’d be forgiven for thinking the champions had been cut adrift of the title challengers altogether
...City v Swans...
The truth, however, is that the Blues began the day two points better off than the same point last season and with only one defeat in eight matches, were actually in decent form in the league.
Of course, the recent wobbles in the Capital One Cup and the Champions League have somewhat clouded the issue and nobody would disagree with the opinion that City have not been firing on all cylinders this campaign.
Coupled with the impressive start Chelsea have made, things have perhaps been exaggerated somewhat.
A victory over Gary Monk’s fifth-placed Swansea would the ideal panacea ahead of Tuesday’s do-or-die clash with Bayern Munich.
...City v Swans..
The main team was that news David Silva had not recovered in time for this game, though that was tempered by the return of skipper Vincent Kompany.
Despite the skipper’s welcome presence in defence, hopes of keeping an increasingly rare clean sheet were ended after just nine minutes as the visitors took the lead with a cleverly-worked goal between Nathan Dyer and Bony.
With no obvious danger as the Swans probed forward, Dyer spotted Bony’s run into the box and with
Things livened up with one or two niggling challenges started to go in and one incident off the ball that suggested Angel Rangel may have clashed with Sergio Aguero who went down clutching his face merely cranked up what was becoming an ill-tempered opening period – none of the officials saw the incident and play resumed shorty after.
City almost went into the break in front in front when a fine run from Aguero teed up who will probably never hit a sweeter shot in his life, but his 25-yard thunderbolt crashed against the post having brushed the fingers of Fabianski meaning poor Gael’s wait for his first City goal goes on!
Jovetic twice went close in the five minutes that remained as Swansea clung on but the Welsh side reached half-time still on level terms.
Swansea proved within three minutes of the re-start that they were still a danger coming forward when Jefferson Montero was denied by the knees of Hart and Gylfi Sigurdsson warmed the England keeper’s gloves with a long-range effort five minutes later
...City v Swans...
Gradually, the Blues took command again with Aguero, Navas and Jovetic a constant threat and Yaya Toure seeing his 18-yard shot parried by Fabianski – but moments later, it was Yaya who finally put City ahead with a goal worthy of winning any game.
Navas fed the ball into Fernandinho who back-heeled the ball into Yaya who powered into the box and still had plenty to do, but he ghosted past two challenges before sliding the ball home from close range.
It had been coming and overall, was no less than the champions deserved.
City pressed for a decisive third and Yaya, Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Navas all went close, but Swansea dug in and managed to fashion a glorious late opportunity as Bafetimbi Gomis raced clear only to poke the ball wide of the on-rushing Hart and, crucially, the post as well.
And deep into injury time, Jonjo Shelvey fired a deflected free-kick inches wide of the post with Hart wrong-footed and stranded, but anything other than a home victory would have been harsh on the champions.
Now for Bayern Munich...
