Report | Swansea City 3 Bristol City 1

13th February
First team
Bristol City home Michael Obafemi 6

Second-half goals from Michael Obafemi, Cyrus Christie and Joel Piroe saw Swansea City come from behind to complete a first league double over Bristol City since 1958 at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Russell Martin’s side had trailed at the break to an Andreas Weimann’s strike, but they showed great character to battle their way back into the game and claim three points that moved them above the visitors.

Obafemi showed great anticipation to finish from close range early in the second half before Christie bundled in his first goal for the Swans, and his first anywhere since June 2020, to put them ahead.

And Joel Piroe sealed the win in stoppage time as he calmly fired a low strike into the bottom corner for his 14th goal of the season.

Martin had made four changes from the midweek defeat at Stoke, with Finley Burns handed a debut in defence, as Ryan Manning, Jamie Paterson and Joel Piroe also came into the side.

Ryan Bennett missed out through suspension, while Jay Fulton, Korey Smith and Olivier Ntcham dropped to the bench.

There were some encouraging signs for the Swans early on, Hannes Wolf having some joy down the left as he tricked his way into the box but just put too much on his final delivery.

Cyrus Christie then got away down the other sideline from a Matt Grimes pass, but his cross was also overhit as Wolf and Obafemi endeavoured to get into the middle.

Bristol City home Finley Burns 2

Obafemi then fired straight at Max O’Leary in the Robins goal before Wolf just failed to get on the end of a pass into the channel from Manning.

Cabango was denied a free header by an excellent clearance from Jamie Paterson’s inswinging free-kick.

Obafemi was looking lively and he saw a shot blocked after picking up a loose ball and driving purposefully towards the edge of the Bristol City area.

The visitors had barely threatened but they forced Andy Fisher into the first meaningful save of the afternoon as the keeper tipped over Chris Martin’s dipping drive.

The Swans had their best chance yet when Christie tolled the ball infield to Grimes. The skipper looked to be fouled by Han Noah-Massengo as he looked to spin away from his fan, the referee ignored the appeals and Obafemi saw his resulting shot blocked away for a corner.

Alex Scott and Weimann sent shots whistling wide from distance around the half-hour as the Robins began to have a better spell.

Fisher denied Antoine Semenyo’s low strike but the opener arrived for the visitors four minutes before the break.

Bristol City home Joel Piroe 4

A Swans attack broke down and when Semenyo sent the ball through to Weimann the flag stayed down and he held off Manning to fire high into the net.

It gave Bristol City the lead at the break, but the Swans came out with renewed energy at the start of the second half, Piroe seeing a shot blocked.

And they levelled just eight minutes after the restart, as Obafemi was alive to Christie’s cross cum shot and snuck in to tap in at the far post.

The striker was soon sniffing another, with O’Leary having to be out sharply to prevent him getting to Wolf’s inviting ball into the six-yard box.

Manning made a superb challenge to deny Weimann a second after the forward had bustled his way in the Swansea box, while Fisher was relieved to only conceded a corner after the Austrian had pounced on his miskick near the six-yard box.

Swansea came forward again, a clever free-kick seeing no-one able to turn in Grimes’ knockdown from a Paterson deliver, before Wolf curled wide from the angle of the penalty area.

Chris Martin flicked a low corner over the Swans bar at the other end as the game entered its final 20 minutes.

Bristol City home Cyrus Christie 3

But it was the Swans who struck a key blow 12 minutes from time through Christie.

Manning drove forward down the left and sent in a superb cross. Christie met it at the far post and headed home the rebound when the ball fell to him via substitute keeper Dan Bentley and Swans sub Ntcham.

And Piroe ensured the six minutes of stoppage time did not prove nervy as he seized on a loose ball 25 yards out and beat a defender before drilling the ball into the net.

Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Ben Cabango, Finley Burns (Olivier Ntcham 75), Ryan Manning; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Hannes Wolf; Jamie Paterson (Korey Smith 90); Joel Piroe, Michael Obafemi (Joel Latibeaudiere 85).

Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Jay Fulton, Kyle Joseph, Yan Dhanda.

Bristol City: Max O'Leary (Dan Bentley 63), Jay Dasilva, Chris Martin, Andreas Weimann (captain), Cameron Pring (Nahki Wells 84), Antoine Semenyo, Tomas Kalas, Timm Klose, Zak Vyner, Alex Scott, Han-Noah Massengo (Joe Williams 59).

Substitutes: Robbie Cundy, Duncan Idehen, Tommy Conway, Ayman Benarous.

Referee: Keith Stroud

 Attendance: 19,162