Aston Villa 1 Swansea City 2: Pressure grows on Sherwood as losing run continues

Tim Sherwood appears on the brink at Aston Villa after Andre Ayew struck late to secure Swansea City a 2-1 win at Villa Park.

Jordan Ayew scored his first Villa goal to put the hosts in front seconds after his brother Andre missed a fine opportunity at the other end, although the elder Ayew would make amends.

Villa’s advantage lasted only six minutes before Gylfi Sigurdsson curled in a fine free-kick to level the scores.

The home side had the better opportunities in the first half with Rudy Gestede missing a handful of half-chances, but they were unable to record their first Premier League win since the opening day.

Swansea came into the contest in poor form but won on the road for the first time this season, although Bafetimbi Gomis’ goalless run stretched to a sixth game.

But when Kyle Naughton raided forward at the death, Andre Ayew was on hand to slide home his cross for a goal that sealed Villa’s sixth successive Premier League defeat.

Although Villa started strongly in the early exchanges, Sigurdsson had the first sight of goal, shooting wide with Brad Guzan scrambling to his left.

Jefferson Montero was giving Alan Hutton a test down Swansea’s left flank in the early minutes and Federico Fernandez should have scored from one of many Swans corners won by the winger, but the defender sliced wildly over the bar from six yards.

With both teams struggling in the Premier League, tension threatened to boil over on the half-hour. Fernandez and Micah Richards clashed off the ball and Ashley Williams also got involved, with Williams and Richards booked by referee Neil Swarbrick following a melee.

Villa threatened either side of the interval, Gabby Agbonlahr curled wide before Gestede was caught on his heels from Leandro Bacuna’s cross.

Jonjo Shelvey released Bafetimbi Gomis into the area, but the Frenchman could not break a five-game duck and fired wide of the far post.

The striker was soon in again with a carbon-copy run and he picked out Andre Ayew, but Guzan was out rapidly to block the shot.

Villa opened the scoring seconds later on the break when Jordan Ayew was left unmarked to head Agbonlahor’s cross beyond Lukasz Fabianski after a rapid break.

But Sherwood’s side failed to hang on yet again, having spurned leads against Sunderland and Leicester City recently, and they were pegged back just six minutes later as Sigurdsson curled an inch-perfect free-kick over the wall and beyond Guzan

Jordan Ayew went close to snatching the win for Villa, but it was heartbreak for the home fans as the striker’s brother Andre popped up at the opposite end, sliding in to convert Naughton’s cross, leaving Sherwood to cut a forlorn figure as boos rang out around Villa Park upon the full-time whistle.

Key Opta stats:

– Jordan Ayew scored his first Premier League goal in what was his sixth appearance in the competition.
– His brother Andre Ayew scored his fifth Premier League goal in his 10th appearance in the competition.
– Gylfi Sigurdsson has scored (16) or assisted (14) 30 goals in 60 Premier League apps for Swansea – only Wilfried Bony (31) has been involved in more for the club in the competition.
– There have only been seven goals scored from direct free-kicks in the Premier League so far this season and four of these have been in games involving Swansea (scored one, conceded three).
– Aston Villa have lost eight of their 10 Premier League games in 2015-16; becoming only the 10th side to lose 8+ of their opening 10 PL matches in a season. Of the previous nine, five were relegated at the end of the campaign.