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Being half way across the world wasn’t enough to stop me being able to watch some EPL games this past weekend. One of them was the matchup between premier league newcomers Swansea and the newly established premier outfit Sunderland.

Swansea had scored 8 goals in their two opening premier league games before this one, but they were facing a Sunderland team who have already displayed their defensive prowess with a clean sheet at Arsenal on the opening day.

Could Swansea win a third in a row and make it to the top of the Premier League?

First Half

Sunderland survived an early penalty scare when Routlege was brought down in the box under contact from Gardner, but the referee adjudged the challenge to be fair.

Swansea’s Taylor was then injured in a reckless challenge in his own half on Gardner which resulted in him being stretchered off after coming down heavily on his own ankle.

Goal: Swansea 0:1 Sunderland

A short while later Fletcher then opened the scoring on 40 minutes for Sunderland with a well placed pass into the Swansea goal after taking advantage of a mistake by Swansea’s last defender Williams.

A spectacular effort from McClean just before the whistle had the Sunderland fans on their feet after Sessignon drifted a cross-field ball to the back post. McClean flew in with a volleyed left foot effort that only just went over the target.

Goal: Swansea 1:1 Sunderland

There were six minutes of injury time in the half and Swansea used them to craft out their first real chance of the game when Dyer chipped a delightful pass from the edge of the box into the path of Routledge who hammered his first goal of the season past the Sunderland keeper.

Still inside the first half and Sunderland had what looked to be a clear-cut penalty turned down by the referee when Fletcher was clearly pushed to the ground by a Swansea defender.

Goal: Swansea 1:2 Sunderland

The first half still wasn’t over when Sunderland struck again with a goal that left the Swansea defence red-faced. A free kick on the far side of the pitch was sent across goal which was missed by everyone except for Fletcher who tapped it in on the back line, much to the embarrassment of Swanseas Chico, who claimed in vain for an off-side decision.

Second Half:

The half was just minutes old when Dyer carved out his first chance which forced a solid block from Sunderlands keeper. His volley on the turn was at a good height for the keeper to make an important save.

Sunderlands manager Martin O’Neill was left furious midway through the half when play was allowed to continue whilst one of his players was left seemingly seriously injured on the ground. Play only came to a halt when an unrelated foul was given by the ref.

The original foul by Chico on McClean was a serious lunge which should have seen him sent packing with a red card. Referee Roger East who was in charge of his first ever premier league match either did not see the foul or simply made a mis-judgement as with the benefit of seeing it again he would have no doubt given it.

Minutes later a free kick on the edge of the Sunderland box caused pandemonium as the ball was sent towards goal and rattled around in the area before eventually being desperately hoofed clear.

Goal: Swansea 2:2 Sunderland

Sunderland finally succumbed to heavy Swansea pressure midway through the half when Michu got on the score sheet with a deft header into the corner from a cross deep into the box.

Red Card: Chico Flores

Swansea’s Chico was sent off on 70 minutes after a silly high-boot which connected with the side of Saha’s head, when the Sunderland forward was apparently going nowhere. Only Chico knows what he was thinking at that time!

Full Time: Swansea 2:2 Sunderland