Swansea City 0-0 Watford
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Swansea have not won a home Premier League match this season
Bob Bradley's first home game as Swansea City manager ended in a goalless draw as the hosts were held by Watford.
After the two sides played out an insipid first half, Hornets keeper Heurelho Gomes made an excellent sprawling save to deny Mike van der Hoorn from close range.
Swansea poured forward in desperate search of a winner but Watford had a penalty appeal rejected when Valon Behrami fell under a challenge from Kyle Naughton.
Gylfi Sigurdsson then hit the post for the Swans, who are winless in the Premier League since the opening day of the season and stay second from bottom in the table.
Watford's well-earned point sees them climb one place up to ninth, while Bradley's side gained a first clean sheet since that triumph at Burnley.
Mawson shines as Swansea labour
Having begun his Swansea tenure with a 3-2 defeat at Arsenal, former USA boss Bradley took the bold decision of making five changes for his first game at the Liberty Stadium.
They included a debut for centre-back Alfie Mawson, tasked with shackling Watford's physically imposing strike partnership of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo.
The 22-year-old, signed from Barnsley in the summer, coped well but, in truth, neither defence was properly tested in a first half in which both sides struggled to threaten.
Winless since the opening day of the season, Swansea were devoid of confidence and their hesitance in attack created a sense of anxiety inside the Liberty Stadium.
They improved vastly towards the end of the game, with Modou Barrow's electric pace and direct running causing Watford countless problems.
But Swansea's finishing was poor, with van der Hoorn, Fernando Llorente and Sigurdsson all squandering good chances.
Swansea's defenders stifled the presence of Troy Deeney, as the striker, who scored 15 goals in all competitions last season, did not touch the ball inside the opponents' penalty area
Watford hold firm again
While Swansea languished in 19th, Watford went into the match in 10th, having kept their season's first clean sheet in victory at Middlesbrough six days earlier.
Walter Mazzarri's men were unable to seize on their opponents' unease, and struggled to contain the Swans in the latter stages of the match.
They held firm for a second successive clean sheet, however, owing much to Gomes' late saves and Swansea's weak finishing.
Watford might even have snatched victory had their late penalty appeals - one for a Naughton handball and another for his perceived foul on Behrami - been successful.
But a goalless draw was perhaps a fair reflection of a match in which neither team produced enough quality to warrant three points.
Man of the match - Modou Barrow (Swansea)
A rare bright spark in a game low on quality, the Gambian created several chances by running at Watford's defenders with pace and purpose.
The stats you need to know
Swansea failed to score in a home league game against Watford for the first time since March 1923.
The Swans are without a win in six Premier League home games (drew three, lost three), their worst top-flight winless streak at the Liberty Stadium since December 2015 (seven games).
The Hornets kept consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since December 2015 (when they managed three in a row).
No Watford player made more tackles (four), clearances (six) or interceptions (five) against Swansea than Jose Holebas.
Swansea are without a win in their last eight Premier League matches, drawing two and losing six.
This was Swansea's 100th Premier League home game. They have won 37, drawn 33 and lost 30 of their 100 home games in the competition.
What they said
Swansea City manager Bob Bradley told BBC Sport: "The second half was strong and we came out right from the beginning looking for a goal. It didn't happen but there are a lot of positives.
"It was important to get a clean sheet and the play from our centre halves was solid as Deeney and Ighalo are difficult to play against. This is a step we can build on.
"I think the team we picked today made sense. There is disappointment for sure, but a shared feeling of an all-round good effort."
Watford boss Walter Mazzarri told BBC Sport: "The first half was the best we have played and how I want my team to play. We have to be more aggressive in the last 25 metres.
"I tend to not comment on the referees, but today there were two very clear penalties for us. Those decisions are the ones that meant we did not go away with the three points.
"I was very happy with the performance because today we played in a very smooth way, we didn't throw long balls, we played from the defence and I liked it, they are doing what I have said."
What next?
Watford entertain Hull City in the Premier League on Saturday, 29 October, with Swansea playing an away game at Stoke two days later.
- Published20 June 2016
- Published7 June 2019
