Swansea City 4-0 Watford: Piroe double, Cullen and Latibeaudiere seal thumping Swans win

Liam Cullen celebrates having marked his first league start since August 2021 with a neatly taken goal

Swansea City ended their eight-game winless streak in style as Joel Piroe struck twice in a 4-0 thrashing of Watford.

Piroe drilled low into the far corner before Liam Cullen swept in his third goal in three games.

Piroe then guided in from 20 yards before Joel Latibeaudiere's far-post effort secured a timely Swansea win.

They jump to 12th in the Championship, while Watford stay fifth after back-to-back defeats.

The Hornets had frustrated head coach Slaven Bilic in their Boxing Day defeat to Millwall, and they were poor once more on a night when Keinan Davis wasted their best chance in the opening exchanges.

Swansea's impressive win - their joint-best under Russell Martin - means that having started the night in 16th, they move to within a point of the final play-off spot.

Despite the Millwall loss - Watford's first reverse in four games - Bilic's team ought to have travelled to Wales with confidence having taken 10 points from their previous four away games.

And they should have exposed a Swansea side who had conceded first in seven of their previous eight games inside eight minutes.

Christian Kabasele's right-wing cross was perfect for Davis - but he headed wastefully into Steven Benda's arms from point-blank range.

Having wriggled off the hook there, Swansea built momentum as the first half wore on, with Piroe testing Daniel Bachmann from distance before Cullen headed a foot wide.

Cullen, who shone in his first league start in 16 months, then played a pivotal role in the opening goal.

After Ollie Cooper intercepted William Troost-Ekong's ball out of defence, Cullen slipped a fabulous pass through for Piroe to drive home his seventh goal of the season.

Swansea might have snatched a second before the break when Matt Grimes helped on Harry Darling's header, but the effort was deflected and Bachmann gathered on the line.

Joel Piroe drills home his second goal in three games

The home side were on the front foot once more early in the second half, as Cooper fed Cullen only for his effort to skew wide.

Watford rarely looked like getting back into the contest before Swansea ran away with it in the closing stages, with Cullen capping his fine evening by steering home from 12 yards after Darling's shot deflected into his path.

Piroe's first double of the season came when his measured shot from outside the box rolled into the far corner of the net.

Watford might have had a consolation when substitute Vakoun Bayo's header was saved by Benda, but it was Swansea who had the final word as Piroe sent Grimes in behind and he unselfishly squared for Latibeaudiere to score the first league goal of his career at the far post.

Swansea head coach Russell Martin:

"I'm really proud of the players. We feel like it's been coming.

"I got asked if it's been a really tough moment in my managerial career with not winning in eight games.

"The tough bit is the result and the outcome, which is all anyone's interested in because that's the game, but it's not been tough to work with these players. They've stuck with it.

"I've watched with real pride most of the time. We played a bit of a different shape tonight and I really liked it. We've done a lot of work on a back four.

"I'm pleased for the supporters - it was a really good atmosphere tonight. I think the players are a little bit relieved. They should be proud."

Watford head coach Slaven Bilic:

"It's a bit embarrassing to be fair. It's a bad feeling that I have in my stomach.

"Okay we were missing players. We are in a bad moment in terms of the squad - we are missing too many players, unbelievable.

"But we knew that before. We knew when we were preparing for the game we need passion, dedication, commitment. That was lacking.

"Of course it's all confidence. If you lack the quality and give the ball away, your confidence goes down. It looks like you are not trying. But it cannot be 4-0.

"The club don't deserve it, the fans that travelled definitely don't deserve that."