Swansea City 1-4 West Ham United
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Andre Ayew scores against his former club to set the visitors on their way to victory on Monday
West Ham cruised to a third straight win to plunge Swansea City deeper into Premier League relegation trouble and increase the pressure on manager Bob Bradley.
Former Swans forward Andre Ayew pounced on Lukasz Fabianski's fumble to put the visitors ahead, before Winston Reid headed in from a corner to double their lead.
Michail Antonio added a third and, although Fernando Llorente scored late on for Swansea, Andy Carroll's firm strike sealed a convincing West Ham victory.
Slaven Bilic's side climb to 11th in the Premier League table, while Swansea remain second from bottom but now four points adrift of safety.
Where Bradley is concerned, a seventh defeat from his 11 matches in charge leaves the American in grave danger of losing his job less than three months after his appointment.
Swansea's supporters called for his sacking during the second half, as well as accusing the club's directors of greed following the Swans' American takeover in the summer.
Pressure mounts on Bradley
Swansea boss Bob Bradley says his side are in a 'rut'
Having won only two of his first 10 games at the helm, Bradley admitted before the match that his future could depend on the outcome of this fixture and the home encounter with Bournemouth on New Year's Eve.
Swansea had unravelled with scant resistance to lose their previous two games, at Middlesbrough 3-0 and West Brom 3-1, and they were similarly vulnerable against West Ham.
Since the American's appointment in October the Swans had conceded 25 goals - more than any other Premier League side in the same period - and their 26th was as feeble as any they have let in.
Cheikhou Kouyate only managed a weak flick from Andy Carroll's header, but Fabianski could only palm the ball into the path of Ayew, who tapped in from close range.
The goal created a sense of anxiety inside the Liberty Stadium, and that unease turned to wholehearted hostility after Reid extended West Ham's lead.
Swansea's supporters booed Bradley and chanted "You don't know what you're doing", before turning their ire towards the Swans' board as the prospect of relegation looms larger than ever.
West Ham revival continues
Swansea 1-4 West Ham: Slaven Bilic 'very pleased' for Andre Ayew
Unlike their opponents, West Ham entered this match with renewed optimism after successive 1-0 wins over Hull and Burnley had eased their own relegation fears.
Those were relatively hard-earned triumphs, but they were able to cruise to victory in south Wales without playing at their fluent best.
It was a straightforward afternoon for goalkeeper Darren Randolph and his defenders, who had little to worry about apart from the occasional long-range effort from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
In attack, West Ham were clinical on the break and from set-pieces, with midfielder Dimitri Payet increasingly influential in the second half.
Carroll also proved his worth with a typically abrasive display, capped with a goal which helped maintain the Hammers' record of winning every Premier League match in which the striker has started since returning from injury.
MOTD analysis
Former England captain Alan Shearer:
"Swansea just aren't working hard enough. There's no excuse for the second goal. Winston Reid gets above the two defenders - there's no way he should win the ball - but he gets above them because he wants it more, it means more to him.
"It was a big punt bringing Bob Bradley in, with his lack of experience of Premier League players and lack of experience in the Premier League. It was always going to be a big ask of him to keep Swansea up."
Former West Ham forward Ian Wright:
"It was starting to get tight for West Ham and Slaven Bilic had to dig the players out after the 5-1 defeat to Arsenal at the start of December. The players needed to hear that."
Man of the match - Andy Carroll (West Ham)
Swansea could not contain the aerial threat of Carroll, who helped set up the first West Ham goal and scored the last as he gave his opponents a torrid afternoon
Swansea's shaky defence
Swansea have shipped 29 goals in the top flight since Bob Bradley took charge on 15 October, more than any other side.
Swansea have conceded the first goal in 13 Premier League games this season, only Hull have done so more often.
West Ham have won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since March.
Andre Ayew is the 41st player to score both for and against West Ham in the Premier League, more than any other club has seen.
Dimitri Payet has provided 15 Premier League assists in 2016, more than any other player.
What next?
Swansea host Bournemouth on New Year's Eve before taking on Crystal Palace on 3 January. West Ham travel to Leicester on 31 December and face Manchester United at home on 2 January.
- Published26 December 2016
