Paul Clement's struggling Swans took the lead in the first half but were punished at the worst time possible when Roque Mesa conceded a penalty on the stroke of half-time
WAYNE ROONEY has hit double figures as his personal revival goes hand-in-hand with Everton’s.
Skipper Rooney even had the luxury of having a first half penalty saved before succeeding when he got a second chance from the spot to wrap up a fourth victory in five Premier League games.
It means he has now scored ten goals this season – as many as the entire Swansea team which is now condemned to spending Christmas in the bottom three.
Rooney got a standing ovation when he was substituted with a minute to go having helped his boyhood club continue to climb the league with six goals in his last five matches.
Defeat must feel even worse for gloomy City boss Paul Clement as his team took the lead and was the victim of poor refereeing on a thoroughly miserable night when he also lost striker Wilfried Bony to injury after just four minutes.
He also looked on as former Swansea star Gylfi Sigurdsson struck with a spectacular 25 yard goal as his side crumbled on Merseyside.
It means he has now scored ten goals this season – as many as the entire Swansea team which is now condemned to spending Christmas in the bottom three.
Rooney got a standing ovation when he was substituted with a minute to go having helped his boyhood club continue to climb the league with six goals in his last five matches.
Defeat must feel even worse for gloomy City boss Paul Clement as his team took the lead and was the victim of poor refereeing on a thoroughly miserable night when he also lost striker Wilfried Bony to injury after just four minutes.
He also looked on as former Swansea star Gylfi Sigurdsson struck with a spectacular 25 yard goal as his side crumbled on Merseyside.
It left the midfielder free to give him the slip round the back and pop up unmarked to ram home the ball when it fell to him in a perfect position six yards out to claim his first Premier League goal of the season with a half volley off his left foot.
It would be unfair to say it was against the run of play because hardly anybody had been running up to then in a dreary encounter played in virtual silence at Goodison Park.
Clement’s resigned sigh when the lead evaporated after ten minutes must have carried through the night air.
A careless rather than malicious challenge by Spaniard Roque Mesa on Aaron Lennon just inside the box gave ref Jon Moss a decision to make. And he pointed to the spot.
Even then it was harsh on City. Rooney’s penalty was pushed onto the post by a great dive from Lukas Fabianski and it looked as if the danger had been cleared.
But emerging striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin reacted first and he raced in to bury the rebound with the last competitive kick of the half.
The division’s lowest scorers with only nine Premier League goals went up against a team which has become tighter than Ebeneezer Scrooge in the run up to Christmas.
Everton had let in only one goal in the four games since Sam Allardyce took over from Ronald Koeman earlier this month.
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The stage was set for Everton to take the game by the scruff of the neck and they did in style on 64 minutes when Sigurdsson, sold by Swansea for £45 million in the summer, cut in from the left before unleashing a ferocious past the dive of Fabianski.
That money would have been most welcome back then but relegation will cost them a lot more in the long run.
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And it got even worse for Swansea when Martin Olsson clipped the heels of Jonjoe Kenny as he raced into the area. Replays showed contact was made outside the white line and it should have been a free kick.
Moss’ mistake was a gift for Rooney who made no mistake second time around and he thumped a shot past the keeper to seal the win and seal Swansea’s fate.
