Gylfi Sigurdsson’s stunning goal against his former club maintained Everton’s unbeaten record under Sam Allardyce with a 3-1 win on Monday that left Swansea rooted to the foot of the Premier League.
The 28-year-old Icelandic international left Swansea for a record £45 million in the close season and his 30-yard effort in the second-half illustrated why Everton wanted him so badly. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with his seventh goal in all competitions, had brought Everton level after Leroy Fer had given the visitors the lead with his first goal in 38 matches.
Wayne Rooney wrapped up the points with a penalty – he had an earlier one saved before Calvert-Lewin knocked in the rebound – for his 10th goal of the season.
Victory sees Everton rise to ninth – a heady spot given they were in the relegation places on October 23 – and unbeaten in five matches under Allardyce. Swansea, who lost their sixth successive away match and have only one win in their last 10 games, are four points adrift of safety.
The visitors suffered a huge blow just 47 seconds into the game when Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony pulled up injured and had to go off minutes later. It was the visitors, though, who broke the deadlock.
Jordan Pickford could do nothing about Fer’s close range half-volley after the Dutchman had escaped Ashley Williams’s attention, nipping around the back of the defender to give the visitors the lead with only their 10th goal of the campaign.
Swansea went close to doubling their lead four minutes from the break. A nicely-worked move ended with Martin Olsson’s long range effort just swerving the wrong side of the post.
However, their hopes suffered a blow in time added on as Roquie Mesa felled Aaron Lennon to concede a penalty. Lukasz Fabianski did superbly to save Rooney’s spot kick but Calvert-Lewin followed up to rifle the ball home.
There was not a lot to choose between the sides for the first 20 minutes of the second period until Sigurdsson came up with his moment of magic. He came in from the left wing after receiving the ball from Rooney and unleashed an unstoppable right-footed curling effort into the far top corner.
Swansea’s luck was well and truly out when Jonjo Kenny went down in the area under a challenge by Olsson 18 minutes from time and referee Jon Moss pointed to the spot despite the contact being outside the box.
Rooney this time made no mistake, though Fabianski got a hand to his powerfully-hit spot-kick.
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