Match ends, Stoke City 2, Swansea City 1.
StokeStoke City2SwanseaSwansea City1
- Ryan Shawcross concedes seventh league penalty
- Stoke level through controversial penalty
- Swansea without a league win since August
- Mark Hughes' side move to 10th in the table
Substitute Jonathan Walters struck the winner as Stoke came from behind to defeat Swansea and claim just their second home league win this season.
The visitors, dominant in the first half, went ahead through a Wilfried Bony penalty after Ryan Shawcross was penalised for a foul on the Ivorian.
Stoke levelled through a Charlie Adam penalty as Angel Rangel was harshly judged to have fouled Victor Moses.
Walters' impact was immediate, heading home Oussama Assaidi's cross.
It is a victory which will ease the fears of those who worried about Stoke's home form this season.
Both Aston Villa and Leicester had already won at the Britannia Stadium during an indifferent start to the campaign for Mark Hughes's men, and Swansea's bright start to Sunday's match suggested another visiting team could leave the Potteries with three points.
But thanks to a little fortune with the Adam penalty, and the impact of second-half substitutes Walters and Assaidi, Stoke regrouped after the break to secure back-to-back home league victories.
| Former England defender Danny Mills on BBC Radio 5 live |
|---|
| "I don't understand how you can give the first penalty because you would have to give six or seven a game. I think he knows he has given a soft penalty and then when Victor Moses throws himself to the ground, when most of the time he would have been given a yellow card for diving, it's a penalty. Very poor refereeing." |
Swansea, who are now without a win in five league games, will be frustrated at not having made the most of their first-half dominance and disappointed that Stoke were awarded a spot kick.
The visitors created two great chances - influential duo Gylfi Sigurdsson and Ki Sung-Yueng forcing Asmir Begovic into action - before they were awarded a penalty themselves.
As the players prepared for a corner, Shawcross needlessly pulled down Bony inside the area and referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot.
Bony's composed finish further added to Shawcross' woe as no player has conceded more penalties in the Premier League since the 2008/09 season than the Stoke defender, whose unwanted tally stands at seven.
Fortunately for Shawcross, referee Oliver helped level matters by harshly penalising Rangel for what he believed was a foul on Moses just before the break.
There seemed to be little contact between the pair and the Spaniard was still shaking his head in disbelief even after Adam had stepped up to score his second goal of the season.
Stoke were far better after the restart, retaining possession and creating a number of chances against a retreating Swansea.
First, Adam shot from distance and then Peter Crouch - who had scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances against the Welsh side - headed wide from a corner.
Walters made a 62nd-minute introduction to the match - and his bullet of a header from Assaidi's cross ensured Stoke leapt to 10th in the table while Swansea, after a promising start to the season, fell to eighth.
Line-ups
Stoke
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Begovic
- 2BardsleyBooked at 45mins
- 17ShawcrossBooked at 33mins
- 12Wilson
- 3Pieters
- 15N'ZonziBooked at 89mins
- 16Adam
- 18DioufBooked at 35minsSubstituted forWaltersat 62'minutes
- 7IrelandSubstituted forCameronat 62'minutes
- 13MosesSubstituted forAssaidiat 73'minutes
- 25Crouch
Substitutes
- 5Muniesa
- 19Walters
- 20Cameron
- 21Sidwell
- 24Assaidi
- 27Bojan
- 29Sørensen
Swansea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Fabianski
- 22Rangel
- 33Fernández
- 6Williams
- 3Taylor
- 4Ki Sung-yueng
- 14CarrollSubstituted forGomisat 65'minutes
- 12DyerSubstituted forMonteroat 65'minutes
- 23G SigurdssonSubstituted forEmnesat 85'minutes
- 15Routledge
- 10BonyBooked at 75mins
Substitutes
- 11Emnes
- 18Gomis
- 20Montero
- 25Tremmel
- 27Bartley
- 32Shephard
- 56Fulton
- Referee:
- Michael Oliver
- Attendance:
- 27,017
Match Stats
Home TeamStokeAway TeamSwansea
- Possession
- Home43%
- Away57%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away5
- Corners
- Home3
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home17
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Stoke City 2, Swansea City 1.
Post update
Attempt missed. Bafétimbi Gomis (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Jefferson Montero from a direct free kick.
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Ki Sung-Yueng (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Charlie Adam (Stoke City).
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Attempt missed. Wilfried Bony (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
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Attempt blocked. Angel Rangel (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Marc Wilson.
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Attempt saved. Ki Sung-Yueng (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Booking
Steven N'Zonzi (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Wilfried Bony (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Steven N'Zonzi (Stoke City).
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Attempt blocked. Bafétimbi Gomis (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Wilfried Bony.
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Hand ball by Bafétimbi Gomis (Swansea City).
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Foul by Wilfried Bony (Swansea City).
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Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Swansea City. Marvin Emnes replaces Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Post update
Federico Fernández (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City).
Post update
Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Ashley Williams.
