Stoke City vs Swansea City. Premier League.
Bet365 StadiumAttendance26,602.
Tuesday 1 November 2016 08:06, UK
Wilfried Bony rediscovered his scoring touch as his two goals helped Stoke beat his old club Swansea 3-1 in the Premier League on Monday Night Football.
The Ivory Coast striker had failed to find the net in seven appearances for the Potters since his summer loan move, but struck inside three minutes to get himself off the mark.
Wayne Routledge equalised five minutes later, but Stoke ran away with the game in the second half after an Alfie Mawson own-goal ten minutes after the restart was added to by Bony in the 73rd minute.
Mark Hughes' men are now five games unbeaten in the league and move up to 12th, while Swansea are winless since the opening day of the season and remain second from bottom.
The 100th Premier League game of the season got off to a fast start and it was a former Swansea double act that outdid the visitors almost immediately. Xherdan Shaqiri played in a corner that found Wales midfielder Joe Allen on the left of the box, passing the ball into the path of Bony who slotted home past Lukasz Fabianksi.
The Swans levelled in the eighth minute, as Gylfi Sigurdsson's cross found Routledge - who had got himself ahead of Phil Bardsley - and headed home to see the sides level in a raucous first ten minutes.
Bony could have added a second not long after as he sent an effort curling past the post from 20 yards, before Stoke hit the woodwork for the first time. Marko Arnautovic played the ball to Charlie Adam at the top of the box and he struck the ball with power - but it bounced off the post and went wide.
Adam - making his first Premier League start of the season - hit the post for the second time with ten minutes of the first period to play, this time finding the right-hand side with a fierce left-footed drive before Arnautovic did the same five minutes later.
Ramadan Sohby nicked back possession before finding Allen in the middle of the park. The Welshman then picked out a brilliant run by the Austria international at the top of the box, who rounded the oncoming Fabianski but could only see his effort rattle the woodwork once again.
Swansea could have gone ahead just before the break as Fernando Llorente played a delightful knockdown into the path of Routledge, but his shot from the edge of the box forced a smart leaping save from Stoke goalkeeper Lee Grant.
Both sides started well in the second half, but it was an own goal that saw the Potters go ahead again in the 55th minute. Sobhy - who had replaced Shaqiri in the first half - showed some fantastic skill to get away from Angel Rangel on the left of the box, with his shot turned into the net by Swansea defender Mawson.
Chances were mostly at a premium during the second 45 minutes, with Neil Taylor having an attempt from 25 yards that went wide before a fine passing move from Stoke saw Charlie Adam also fly a shot over the crossbar.
But they got their third as Allen and Bony once again caused heartbreak for their former side. Arnautovic played in the Welshman on the left of the box who saw his original shot saved by Fabianksi before poking the rebound into the path of Bony and he headed home for his second of the evening.
It was Swansea who could have nicked a goal in the closing minutes as Borja Baston saw his shot skim the crossbar before the visitors were denied a penalty after Erik Pieters fouled Routledge. Referee Michael Oliver had pointed to the spot but, after consulting with the linesman, judged that the initial contact had come outside the box and instead awarded a free kick.
The Swans continued to probe but to no avail as Stoke kept them out and picked up a third consecutive Premier League win.
Player ratings
Stoke: Grant (7), Bardsley (7), Shawcross (7), Martins Indi (7), Pieters (7), Whelan (6), Adam (7), Shaqiri (6), Allen (8), Arnautovic (8), Bony (9).
Subs used: Shoby (7), Crouch (n/a), Walters (4).
Swansea: Fabianski (6), Naughton (6), van der Hoorn (5), Mawson (6), Taylor (7), Fer (6), Ki (6), Barrow (5), Sigurdsson (7), Routledge (7), Llorente (7).
Subs used: Rangel (6), Baston (5), Cork (n/a).
Man of the Match: Wilfried Bony.
