Swansea 0 Newcastle 1 highlights: Jamaal Lascelles steals Renato Sanches and Wilfried Bony’s limelight with timely winner for Toon
Defender headed in a powerful effort with 15 minutes remaining to ensure drab match didn't end as a bore draw
JAMAAL LASCELLES was a star at both ends of the pitch as he gave ill Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez the perfect tonic.
The Toon skipper stopped his team from falling behind in the 62nd minute when he brilliantly cleared Tammy Abraham’s shot off the line.
Then Lascelles earned the visitors all three points when he climbed above the Swansea defence to head home Matt Ritchie’s 77th minute corner for the winner.
It was just what Benitez needed as he watched the game on TV from his sickbed at his Wirral home where is recovering from an infection following a hernia operation.
Rafa the gaffer communicated with his coaching team at the Liberty by mobile telephone.
And there was nothing wrong with his team’s communication on the pitch either as they deserevedly collected their second successive top-flight victory.
Joselu was denied a goal in the first half when his header was brilliantly saved by Swansea keeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Jordan Ayew had a long-range shot saved by Rob Elliot in the Toon goal and Alfie Mawson headed the resulting corner wide for the Swans before the break.
But the Welshmen, whose new loan signing Renato Sanches capped a poor debut by getting subbed in the 69th minute, were second best.
The Bayern Munich midfielder tried his hardest to be at the centre of each Swansea move.
But Sanches was continually muscled off the ball before eventually being hooked by a despondent Clement.
FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS
- Aleksandar Mitrovic has contributed to seven goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances but wasn’t even on the bench for Newcastle
- Tammy Abraham has scored more league goals (24) since the start of the 2016/17 campaign than any other player under the age of 21 in the top four tiers
- Swansea have now won just three of their last five home Premier League games against Newcastle
- Swansea have also lost their opening two home league games for the first time since the 85/86 campaign
- Newcastle have the youngest average starting XI in the league this season at 25 years and 190 days
- Paul Clement has now lost consecutive home games for the first time in his managerial career
WHAT THEY SAID
Newcastle goalscorer Jamaal Lascelles: "They mark zonally, I prefer to go against that. With Matt Ritchie's deliveries it was down to me to put it in the net.
"Overall a great team performance. We've set a standard and we need to keep that. It's going to be really tough (this season).
"We need to do well at home and get the fans going. If we play like this every week we'll do really well. It's down to us, we need to bring it every week."
Newcastle star Matt Ritchie: "They're the games you've got to win. It's a massive three points. It means so much (to get the assist) and hopefully we continue to win games.
"(The high foot?) I had visions of Match of the Day last night (with Sadio Mane). He came a little bit lower than the one yesterday, I was delighted to see it was a yellow card."
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DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Swansea: Fabianski 7, Naughton 6, Fernandez 7, Mawson 6, Olsson 6, Sanches 6 (Bony 6), Clucas 6, Fer 7, Carroll 6 (Narsingh 6), Abraham 6, Ayew 6
Subs not used: Van der Hoorn, Nordfeldt, Routledge, Rangel, Mesa
Booked: Naughton, Fer
Newcastle: Elliot 7, Manquillo 7, Lascelles 8, Clark 7, Gamez 7, Merino 7, Hayden 6 (Diame 6), Ritchie 7, Perez 6, Murphy 6 (Atsu 6), Joselu 7 (Gayle 6)
Subs not used: Shelvey, Lejeune, Yedlin, Woodman
Booked: Hayden, Ritchie, Gayle
Goal: Lascelles 75’
Star Man: Jamaal Lascelles