Swansea City vs Stoke City: Bojan quick out of the blocks to punish careless Swans

Swansea City 0 Stoke City 1

Bojan is mobbed by his Stoke team-mates after his early winner from the penalty spot (PA)

Stoke enjoyed a tantalising glimpse of a fully fit Bojan getting back to his best as the Spaniard’s early penalty made it three wins in a row for Mark Hughes’ men against off-colour Swansea last night.

Bojan, working his way back to peak condition after the serious knee injury which curtailed his first Premier League season, won and converted the crucial spot-kick following a fourth-minute foul by Ashley Williams, and hinted at a profitable understanding with Xherdan Shaqiri.

The upward trend continues for the Potters, who are enjoying their best sequence of results in all competitions since 2008, but Swansea are five games without a win.

The spark and fizz of the opening weeks of the season are becoming a distant memory and, aside from Jonjo Shelvey striking the post, they were short of tempo and accuracy in the final third.

Swansea’s manager, Garry Monk, had been unimpressed by the way his squad had resumed their club duties following last month’s international break, and had made it clear he would not accept a repeat this time round.

But those pleas looked to have fallen on deaf ears as the hosts fell behind.

Federico Fernandez got himself in a terrible muddle as he backpedalled under pressure from Bojan, and his underpowered defensive header fell to the former Barcelona man.

Having tricked his way beyond Fernandez, Bojan drew Williams into a clumsy tackle and left referee Robert Madley with the easy decision of pointing to the spot.

The Stoke forward sent Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way, and the Potters were very nearly two goals to the good seconds later.

Joselu, handed a starting role with Mame Biram Diouf away on compassionate leave, jinked to the byline and looked to set up Marko Arnautovic, only for Angel Rangel to make a crucial intervention.

Swansea were lacking in any fluency and it took them until the 17th minute to threaten the Stoke goal as Bafétimbi Gomis headed Jack Cork’s lofted pass wide, while there was a lucky escape for Jack Butland. The keeper made a mess of clearing Geoff Cameron’s back pass and had to scramble to beat André Ayew to the loose ball. He succeeded, but his studs-up challenge infuriated the nearby Swansea players and the crowd. It stirred a period of Swansea pressure, but they could not carve out any clear opportunities, with Gomis particularly lacklustre.

Swansea defender Ashley Williams brings down Stoke’s Bojan Krkic for the match-winning penalty at the Liberty Stadium (Reuters)

In fact, it was Stoke who had the better chances. Joselu’s overhead kick flew narrowly high and wide, before Glen Johnson wasted a wonderful reverse pass from Shaqiri by dragging wide.

Shaqiri was himself guilty of profligacy early in the second half, curling high and wide from the edge of the box.

Swansea were becoming frustrated and when Gomis’s ambitious strike from 30 yards flew out of play some distance from the target the home fans gave vent to their feelings.

Within seconds Stoke nearly killed the game off and would have done had Arnautovic not been guilty of ignoring the offside line as he greedily waited to convert Erik Pieters’ cross.

Butland had barely had to make a save, but he would have been left embarrassed had Shelvey’s shot, which went under him, not cannoned to safety off his post.

Shelvey again threatened with a thunderous, dipping drive, but it marked the high-water mark for the home side.