Aston Villa 0-3 Swansea City: Stomach the loss if you can

Swansea City is through to the fourth-round after drubbing Aston Villa at Villa Park. Baker-Richardson, Dyer, and Fulton scored against a lifeless claret and blues.

Swansea City advanced to the FA Cup fourth-round. It was ugly.

Lineups

Dean Smith called upon Lovre Kalinic to make his Aston Villa debut in net. Alongside the Croatian, was the return of Neil Taylor at left-back while Alan Hutton captained the side in central defense. Callum O’Hare was given the start in attacking midfield, just behind Scott Hogan at centre-forward.

Swansea made just one change from their previous match. McBurnie, Bony, and Montero all missed through illness.

First-Half

Welp, that was quick.

Villa conceded inside three minutes after a corner kick wasn’t fully cleared. Kalinic got his first taste of action by punching the ball away with his left hand, but it barely escaped the box. Scott Hogan took a touch, lost the ball, and Swansea countered.

Courtney Baker-Richardson bundled the low cross home after it deflected off a sliding Kalinic. It wasn’t the best goalkeeping display, but it was very lucky to go in. Chalk that goal on Hogan – can’t turn the ball over in that position.

Villa nearly return the favor with a right-wing cross from Albert Adomah. Hogan guides the ball with the outside of his right boot, but Swansea ‘keeper Erwin Mulder makes an insane stop on the line.

After that, however, it went downhill.

Second-Half

Swansea scored inside two minutes after the break through Nathan Dyer. The veteran winger found an acre of space between Neil Taylor and Anwar El Ghazi and he slotted the ball in for goal No. 2. Thereafter, Dean Smith brought on some attacking changes to spark a comeback. Callum O’Hare was sacrificed for Jonathan Kodjia a the 55-minute mark, while Glenn Whelan departed for Henri Lansbury on the hour.

Villa got a few things going, most notably a shot on an open goal, but Hogan skied it high and wide with a possible deflection. El Ghazi had a shot blocked that was destined for goal, and Adomah curled a right-footed attempt just over the ball.

That was it. Swansea scored on the 78th-minute through Jay Fulton. It was an awful display of defending and goalkeeping and the rest is history. We go again next Saturday.

3-0, Swansea City.