Swansea 0 Newcastle U 2:WEARING THE number nine shirt at Newcastle United would weigh heavily on some shoulders, but Papiss Cisse appears to be liberated in the famous jersey.
On another satisfying day for Alan Pardew, the €12 million Freiburg signing scored twice to take his tally to a remarkable nine in eight Premier League appearances as Newcastle picked up a fourth successive top-flight victory for the first time in six years.
The win keeps their Champions League hopes alive.
Both goals were set up by the gifted Yohan Cabaye who, not surprisingly, received a pat on the back from Cisse when he was substituted 17 minutes from time.
Although the scoreline may suggest that this was a comfortable away victory for Newcastle, the reality was different.
Pardew’s side saw little of the ball and were pinned back for long periods, but the visitors defended resolutely and always looked dangerous whenever Cisse picked up the ball.
How Swansea could do with a predatory striker in his mould. Instead, Brendan Rodgers and his players were left to reflect on a third successive defeat for the first time this season.
Newcastle, in contrast, are up to fifth, above Chelsea and only two points behind Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Swansea have forged a reputation for being difficult to break down at the Liberty Stadium. Before kick-off only Manchester City had conceded fewer goals at home, but it took Newcastle only five minutes to punish some slack defending to go in front.
Cabaye was the creator. The Frenchman’s sublime first-time pass released Cisse, who took advantage of the space that opened up between central defenders Ashley Williams and Steven Caulker, before spearing a low shot across Michel Vorm and into the corner of the net.
The Newcastle target man, who started as a lone centre-forward but interchanged with Demba Ba on the left flank in a 4-4-1-1 formation in which Cabaye was deployed just off the main striker, threatened to add a second 12 minutes later. But Caulker, after initially looking like he had allowed the Senegalese to get the better of him, got back to block.
Newcastle’s threat, however, was largely confined to counterattacking as Swansea, as we have seen on so many other occasions this season, dominated possession with their neat passing and fluid movement.
At times it was a joy to watch, although if there was one frustration for the home supporters it was that Tim Krul, the Newcastle goalkeeper, had only one save of note to make in the first half, with several promising Swansea moves petering out as a result of a stray final ball.
The stop Krul made was an impressive one. Gylfi Sigurdsson struck a dipping right-footed shot, after the lively Joe Allen had spotted the midfielder in space 25 yards from goal, which was spectacularly turned around the post by the Dutch keeper.
Sigurdsson, who has been a revelation since joining on loan from Hoffenheim in January, could and possibly should have scored much earlier in the game. But the ball seemed to get stuck under his feet and the Icelander’s stabbed effort, in the third minute, landed the wrong side of Krul’s far upright.
Otherwise, Swansea huffed and puffed before the interval, but lacked the penetration to open up a Newcastle side that had come with a game plan to defend in numbers and exploit Cisse’s and Ba’s pace on the break on the rare occasions they entered their opponents’ half.
It was little surprise that the pattern of the game remained the same after the restart.
Sigurdsson’s shot was deflected inches wide, Caulker saw his header saved and Allen’s 20-yard drive, after the substitute Ryan Taylor’s poor clearance dropped fortuitously at his feet, ricocheted off Mike Williamson, forcing Krul into an untidy but ultimately effective save. It was difficult to believe that Newcastle could continue to weather the storm and Pardew responded to the onslaught by withdrawing a distinctly unhappy looking Ba and replacing him with Shane Ferguson.
With Swansea beginning to look as if they were running out of ideas, Rodgers sought to inject some fresh impetus by introducing Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham. But four minutes later Newcastle struck for a second time. Cabaye piloted a beautifully weighted pass into the path of Cisse, who allowed neither the close presence of Williams nor the narrow angle to put him off as he splendidly dinked the ball over the head of Vorm and into the top corner.
SWANSEA: Vorm, Rangel, Williams, Caulker, Taylor, Dyer (Sinclair 66), Britton, Allen, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Moore (Graham 66). Subs not used: Tremmel, Tate, Monk, McEachran, Gower. Booked: Williams.
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Perch, Santon, Gutierrez, Cabaye (Gosling 73), Ben Arfa, Tiote (Ryan Taylor 46), Cisse, Ba (Ferguson 59). Subs not Used: Elliot, Abeid, Shola Ameobi, Tavernier. Booked: Williamson.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
