Swansea City 3 Burnley 2: Llorente´s injury-time header secures crucial win

Swansea City pulled further away from the Premier League relegation zone as they dramatically beat Burnley 3-2 to register a third consecutive home win thanks to Fernando Llorente’s 92nd-minute header.

Paul Clement’s side were just two points clear of the bottom three going into this game, but had been resurgent in the early weeks of the new manager’s tenure.

And, in an enthralling encounter at Liberty Stadium, Llorente netted a decisive brace to see off the challenge of Burnley.

The former Juventus forward opened the scoring, before Andre Gray netted twice – including a controversial equaliser from the penalty spot – to put the visitors in front.

But Martin Olsson rattled in a leveller to set up a grandstand finish, Llorente rising to nod a fine header beyond Paul Robinson to clinch all three points.

2 – Fernando Llorente has scored in consecutive league games for the first time since November 2015 with Sevilla. Form.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 4, 2017

Swansea now head into a crucial part of the season, with successive fixtures to come against fellow strugglers Hull City, Bournemouth and Middlesbrough.

Robinson, deputising for ill Burnley captain Tom Heaton, was beaten twice in quick succession by Alfie Mawson early on, but the woodwork came to his aid on both occasions as the defender first directed a header onto the crossbar and then shot against the foot of the post.

However, the hosts’ next attack did bring a reward through Llorente, who nodded Leroy Fer’s superb cross from the right wing back across Robinson and into the bottom corner for a deserved opener after 12 minutes.

Burnley were quick to respond, though, with Lukasz Fabianski equal to Jeff Hendrick’s low drive before clawing Gray’s deflected effort away.

And an equaliser soon arrived in controversial circumstances as referee Anthony Taylor awarded a spot-kick for a handball in the Swansea area, despite visiting forward Sam Vokes appearing to be the guilty party.

Gray dispatched the penalty beyond Fabianski amid jeers from the home support, but Swansea were soon back on the front foot and Robinson saved well from Olsson.

Gylfi Sigurdsson then dragged wide of the right-hand post and tested the goalkeeper from a free-kick, either side of Llorente’s header hitting the crossbar, in the closing minutes of a thrilling first half.

Ben Mee crucially cleared Sigurdsson’s curler away from the line, before Llorente nudged wide from Tom Carroll’s delivery.

And Swansea were made to pay for their profligacy as Gray grabbed his second, controlling Vokes’ flick-on to turn and clinically strike into the bottom-right corner.

But, with Burnley eyeing a first away win of the season, the hosts hit back when Olsson ran through on the left-side of the area from Sigurdsson’s deft touch and powered a finish high past Robinson at his near post.

Swansea kept pushing, but it looked as though there would be no winner as Olsson sent another effort over the bar and Carroll’s late blast was deflected past the post.

However, Carroll had one last moment of quality in his locker and delivered for Llorente to score, with Clement racing down the touchline amid joyous celebrations.

Key Opta stats: 

– Swansea have registered five wins in their eight league games under Paul Clement, as many as in their previous 24.

– Burnley have now gone 13 Premier League away games without a win, drawing two and losing 11.

– Five of Llorente’s 11 competitive goals for Swansea this season have been headers (3 left, 3 right).

– Six of Andre Gray’s eight Premier League goals this season have come against sides currently in the bottom 5 of the table.