Paul Clement: Swansea City deserved Manchester City draw

Paul Clement reckoned Swansea City did not get what they deserved after they were beaten 2-1 in agonising fashion at Manchester City.   

The Swans had seemed set to claim a point at the Etihad Stadium for the first time after Gylfi Sigurdsson netted nine minutes from the end.

The Icelander's goal cancelled out Gabriel Jesus's early opener after Clement's men had put pressure on their star-studded hosts in a hugely encouraging second period.

But in the second minute of stoppage time, Jesus's header was only parried by Lukasz Fabianski and the Brazilian had the simple task of tapping home to snatch victory for City.

Clement was unhappy with the officials over the nature of the City winner.

He felt a free-kick which started their attack should not have been awarded, and he also insisted it was not properly taken.

"The first half was very frustrating," the Swans head coach said. 

"We were under pressure from the first minute to the 45th minute and the fact that only one goal went in was a bonus for us.

"Our defensive shape wasn't too bad, but in terms of getting pressure on the ball and being aggressive in one-v-one situations, we weren't good enough.

"When we did get the ball, we were wasteful. 

"There were lots of things to improve on and it was good that half-time came.

"We changed some things and the players responded in the second half. We were a totally different team. 

"We were the better team in the second half. We were more confident with the ball and more aggressive defensively and we scored a very good goal.

"Clearly, conceding the second goal was a big blow because we did enough over the 90 minutes to warrant a point."

Jesus's winner, his second strike of the afternoon, came at the end of a move which started when Luciano Narsingh was adjudged to have fouled Aleksandar Kolarov.

"I am disappointed with the circumstances of the winning goal," Clement said.

"It was right in front of me and it wasn't a foul. Narsingh tried to avoid the challenge of Kolarov. The linesman feels he has thrown him out of the way but in fact Kolarov tried to go shoulder to shoulder and Narsingh got out of the way.

"Okay, sometimes you get those and sometimes you don't. But the game was restarted about 10 metres deeper on the pitch and also in a more central position and it was a rolling ball.

"They are the sort of things the referee was picking up on throughout the game, for example whenever Martin Olsson took a throw-in and he wanted to stop him advancing.   

"That is fine. They are the rules. But a rolling ball 10 metres deeper and also much further inside the pitch?

"I am confident that if the free-kick had been taken in the right place, that my team would have been more organised and in a better position to defend.

"Ultimately there was a defensive error right at the end, but I am a little disappointed with the circumstances of the goal."