Report | Swansea City 2 Watford 0

Swansea City made it back-to-back wins as they maintained their unbeaten start to the Championship season with a convincing 2-0 victory over Watford at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Goals from Ji-sung Eom and Adam Idah condemned the Hornets to their first league defeat of the campaign, while the Swans opened a league season unbeaten across their first four games for the first time since 2020.

Head coach Vitor Matos made two changes to the side that defeated Derby County at the weekend, with Stephen Eustáquio coming in for Jay Fulton to make his full debut, while Elijah Just replaced Melker Widell in the midfield.

New signing Jenson Seelt was also introduced as a second-half substitute, while Lawrence Vigouroux captained the Swans for the first time.

It was the home side who made an assertive start in SA1, with Idah’s low drive forcing a testing save from Federico Ravaglia after just three minutes.

Swansea continued to threaten, with Just played through on goal moments later, only for Mattie Pollock to make a strong block.

Marko Stamenic then went close when his header struck the post, before the Hornets eventually cleared following a goalmouth scramble.

The Swans deservedly broke the deadlock on eight minutes. Eustaquio found Idah with a fine pass, and the striker’s low cross was turned home by Eom, who scored in back-to-back games.

It was almost two moments later, but Pollock again intervened to block Idah’s low effort after Joseph Opoku had teed up the striker following a good passage of play.

Watford began to threaten midway through the half, with Vigouroux denying Pollock’s powerful header from Othmane Maamma’s corner before Hector Kyprianou fired narrowly wide.

But Swansea doubled their advantage on 28 minutes. Eom, continuing to cause problems, slipped through Idah, who showed great composure to slide the ball underneath the on-rushing Ravaglia for his second goal of the season.

Vigouroux was called upon once more before the break to deny Kyprianou’s header, but the Swans were good value for their two-goal lead at the interval.

Matos made a double change early in the second half, introducing Widell and Moussa Yeo as the Swans looked to build on their two-goal advantage.

They should have added a third soon after. Widell capitalised on a loose pass from Branimir Mlacic before finding Eom, but the forward was unable to get a shot away. Eustaquio was then brought down inside the box, though the referee waved away Swansea’s appeals.

Widell went close on 70 minutes, flashing a long-range strike agonisingly wide of Ravaglia’s post as the Swans continued to press for a third.

The Watford goalkeeper produced an outstanding save 10 minutes from time to deny Widell once again, keeping out his low right-footed strike from distance as Swansea continued to press high and create openings.

The Hornets applied late pressure in the dying stages, but the Swans held firm to secure their first home win of the season and maintain their unbeaten start to the Championship campaign.

Swansea City: Vigouroux (C); Key, Lissah, Welsh (Seelt 87’), Tymon; Stamenic (Fulton 68’), Eustaquio, Just (Widell 57’); Opoku (Yeo 57’), Eom, Idah (Vipotnik 68’).

Substitutes: Fisher, Iorpenda, Woodward, Heywood.

Watford: Ravaglia, Keben, Kyprianou, Pollock (C), Mamma (Vata 64’), Bravo (Kjerrumgaard83’), Doumbia, Nabizada, Traore (Branimir Mlacic 30’), Zemura, Kayembe.

Substitutes: Walker, Bachmann, Bove, Payero, Adu-Poku, Eames. 

Attendance: 16,195 

Referee: Edward Duckworth