GW31: Huddersfield Town-Swansea City
Huddersfield smash Swansea with 3 goals in 7 minutes
Angelo Frusciante
Huddersfield Town defeated Swansea City 4-1 to earn their first win of 2021 and boost their Championship survival hopes.
Date Published: Saturday 20th February
Credit: CameraSport - Alex Dodd
Swansea City went to The John Smith’s Stadium as favourites, with 7 wins and 2 draws in the last 9 matches and in third place in the standings. Huddersfield, on the other hand, were 19th with no wins in 2021 (7 defeats and 2 draws in the last 9 games).
Swansea's defence during the season has been impressive, with only 15 goals conceded in 28 games before today. The manager Steve Cooper set the lineup with the same starting 11 as the 1-0 victory against Nottingham Forrest.
Huddersfield manager Carlos Corberan reacted to Tuesday's defeat at Middlesbrough by making two decisive changes, with the defender Alex Vallejo and winger Aaron Rowe coming in to replace Alex Pritchard - who was on the bench - and the injured Isaac Mbenza.
Mbenza joined a lengthy list of Huddersfield injured players including Carel Eiting, Rolando Aarons, Josh Koroma, Danny Grant, Danny Ward and Christopher Schindler. In addition Harry Toffolo missed the game for suspension, only increasing the number of absents.
Image Source: Sky Sports
However, Huddersfield began the contest with excellent intensity as they pressed Swansea all over the field, with this approach leading them to score on 22 minutes when Campbell found the corner of the net after Pipa's cross found him unmarked in the area.
Only 3 minutes later, Juninho Bacuna dribbled passed a defender and shot strongly from 25 yards with Swansea goalkeeper Freddie Woodman beaten, but the shot hit the post.
Swansea side Andre Ayew then shot straight at Ryan Schofield in a rare moment of respite for the Swans.
Bacuna was inspired today and on 27 minutes tested Woodman with a powerful free-kick which the goalkeeper saved.
In the last part of the first half Huddersfield kept pressing and Swansea, put in trouble, were only able to play many long balls.
But on the 45 minutes Lewis O’Brien committed a foul (yellow card given) outside the penalty area and Swansea free kick specialist Conor Hourihane scored with his magical left foot. Although Huddersfield had played better, Swansea leveled the game.
However, Swansea were not level for long because at the beginning of the second half Huddersfield scored 3 goals in 7 minutes. On 48 minutes Lewis O’Brien, assisted by a beautiful touch from Fraizer Campbell, shot with the left foot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
The Terriers then went 3-1 in front with Swansea's normally impenetrable defence breeched with a long ball from Bacuna. Campbell then headed it to Rowe who found Holmes in the penalty area with a precise pass: easy shot and first goal of the day for him.
Three minutes after, Holmes, who had only scored once all season, on November 28 against Wycombe, put his name on the scoresheet again thanks to an absolutely stunning strike from outside the area into the top corner.
Swansea were reduced to 10 men when on 66 minutes sub Jordan Morris was taken off on a stretcher having already used all their subs.
At this point Huddersfield easily controlled the game and took home the 3 points.
Swansea remain fourth with two games in hand, but missed the chance to move into the automatic promotion spots.