Swansea pile pressure on Boro boss Pulis
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p7LFM4qBrgAPUzuTMXLXTa.jpg)
Swansea piled the pressure on Tony Pulis as they eased to a 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday – a sixth successive defeat for the visitors.
Boro came into the game having not scored a goal in three matches and they did not manage a shot on target in a first half totally dominated by Graham Potter’s free-flowing Swansea side.
With Bersant Celina orchestrating things brilliantly from midfield, and the dangerous Dan James and Nathan Dyer causing plenty of problems on the flanks, the home side built on their 3-0 home win against Brentford earlier in the week to score two goals before the break.
They enjoyed 69 per cent of possession in the first half but it took them more than half an hour to break down a stubborn Boro defence that set out to frustrate a side that started the day eight points and six places beneath them.
Pulis’ men found themselves immediately on the back foot and were pleased to see Celina volley over the top of their goal after Wayne Routledge had set Dyer free down the right.
James then cut in from the left edge of the box and thundered a 30-yard shot just wide of the post, before Routledge hit the crossbar after a great build-up between him and Celina.
It was Wales winger James who helped to break the deadlock when he won a penalty after 34 minutes. The 21-year-old raced into the box only to be brought down by Daniel Ayala, allowing Matt Grimes to hammer home his first league goal of the season.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
That gave Swansea renewed confidence and four minutes later they made it 2-0 as they once again broke out from their own half. Celina picked up the ball and drove forward before releasing Routledge.
The attacker put one defender on his backside as he controlled the ball on the edge of the area and then picked his spot in the bottom left corner to bag his third goal of the campaign. James almost made it three after a high-speed break over 80 yards, but his curling shot whistled past the post.
Boro skipper for the day, Stewart Downing, nearly had something to celebrate on his 400th appearance for the club when he shot inches wide six minutes after the break. That was the closest they had come, but they then found themselves falling further behind.
Dyer and Celina combined down the left and it was the Kosovan’s cross that allowed Connor Roberts to slide in on the far post in the 71st minute and beat Darren Randolph for the second three-goal haul of the week for the Swans.
The Boro goal drought finally ended after six hours and 49 minutes when George Saville scored in the 81st minute from a Downing corner.
FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.
![Real Madrid line up (L-R) Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Federico Valverde, Casemiro, Karim Benzema, Miguel Ortega Gutierrez, Gareth Bale, Isco Alarcon, Daniel Carvajal, Vinicius Junior during the La Liga Santader match between Real Betis and Real Madrid CF at Estadio Benito Villamarin on August 28, 2021 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cYAgjXUMcNKhi5Cs8vgqmA-840-80.jpg)
'It’s nothing against Arsenal, but I never wanted to go to England. Give me freezing showers as long as I can stay with my family': Real Madrid superstar reveals why he rejected Gunners move as a young player
![LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 02: Ian Wright of Arsenal (Left) leads the celebrations with a little help from teammates Paul Merson (foreground) and Patrick Vieira (background) during the FA Carling Premier league match between Wimbledon and Arsenal on November 2, 1996 at Selhurst Park in London, England (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Allsport/Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FXS5WZUWEv3oDMNGGqFQSV-840-80.jpg)
'I got reported to the police for making a rude hand gesture to Coventry City fans - I got a £17,000 fine': Arsenal legend reveals receiving severe punishment after Premier League game