09.11.2014 19:43 h

Swansea bounce back to leapfrog Arsenal

Second-half goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis saw Swansea beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday to leapfrog the Gunners into fifth place in the Premier League table and complete a miserable week for Arsene Wenger.

Alexis Sanchez's 12th goal of the season gave Arsenal the lead in the 63rd minute in south Wales.

However, two goals in three minutes, in the final quarter, left Wenger's side with nothing to show for their troubles.

Having given up a three-goal lead in their midweek 3-3 Champions League draw at home to Anderlecht, the north London club's defensive lapses again proved costly and this time there wasn't even the consolation of a point.

Swansea captain Ashley Williams gave manager Garry Monk a genuine scare when he stayed down after twisting his left knee in the second minute.

However, the Welsh international defender dusted himself down and was soon up and running, much to the relief of the home fans.

The first genuine chance of the game came in the ninth minute after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain upended Jefferson Montero on the edge of the box.

Sigurdsson swept in the free-kick but Calum Chambers headed clear.

Arsenal were strangely laboured and at times, painfully predictable.

Oxlade-Chamberlain offered precious little on the right and Aaron Ramsey took an age to get into the contest.

As per normal, Swansea enjoyed a plentiful supply of possession and in the 22nd minute, the hosts felt they had a decent claim for a penalty when Chambers appeared to push Wilfried Bony in the back.

Referee Phil Dowd was well-placed and immediately waved away the Swansea appeals.

At the other end, Bony set up Marvin Emnes whose shot was beaten away by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Arsenal picked up the pace in the closing moments of the first half with Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and Oxlade-Chamberlain working their magic inside the Swansea box.

When the ball broke back to Welbeck, he was denied by a smart stop at his near post, by former Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Ramsey fizzed a 25-yard volley past the far post in the final minute of the opening period before Per Mertesacker's header from a corner flew wide.

The second half was barely a minute old when Sanchez sent Oxlade-Chamberlain through on goal. The England star hit the target but Fabianski was equal to it.

A third yellow card for Swansea followed a rash challenge from Williams on Santi Cazorla, whilst Mertesacker ended up in Dowd's notebook after tripping Emnes.

It was far from a classic contest. However, as Swansea tired, so Arsenal flourished.

Oxlade-Chamberlain became the game's most influential player and when he fed Cazorla 25 yards out, the Spaniard was denied by another decent stop from his former team-mate Fabianski.

The deadlock was eventually broken in the 63rd minute. Bony gave away the ball deep in the Arsenal half and after Oxlade-Chamberlain and Cazorla had carved a hole in the Swansea defence, Welbeck picked out Sanchez, who side-footed past Fabianski from point-blank range.

Swansea, however, were level 15 minutes from time after Kieran Gibbs brought down substitute Modou Barrow.

From the ensuing free-kick, Iceland midfielder Sigurdsson beat Szczesny from almost 30 yards.

Two minutes later, a second substitute, Gomis rose highest to head home Montero's pin-point cross.

Arsenal pressed in the final minutes with Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott thrown on by Wenger.

However, Swansea held on to move above the Gunners.