By David Williams
Matt Grimes has insisted Swansea City’s home defeat to Leicester City has to be viewed in the context of the exceptional quality of the visitors.
🇬🇭Fatawu Issahaku scored his first goal in a Leicester City shirt at Swansea City.
The foxes were 3-1 winners and are top of the 🏴championship table.pic.twitter.com/FQCT8PzDY6
— George Addo Jnr (@addojunr) October 21, 2023
The Swans captain finished on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline as Leicester came from behind and made history by becoming the first ever side in the second tier to win their opening six away matches of a league campaign.
“I’ve been playing in the Championship for a long time now and that’s the best team I’ve played against,” said Grimes.
“They’re a very good side with Premier League quality, and you can see that with the players they played and the subs they brought on.
“There were things to work on of course, but I don’t think we played badly. We were right in the game, and there were just a few moments in key periods that went against us.
“I thought the first goal we conceded was disappointing, because it was from a corner, but other than that it was decent performance.
“For a lot of the younger lads that’s a learning curve, but I don’t think it will get much tougher than that this season to be honest.
“The lads at the back were brilliant, but Leicester have so much quality going forward you just have to limit them to as few chances as possible.
“We had a 10 to 15-minute spell at 2-1 when I thought we were really on top and I felt we needed to score in that period to get something from the game.
“We had chances but, with the quality they’ve got, they were able to make it 3-1. There was still plenty to take from the performance, though.”
https://twitter.com/Champchatpod24/status/1716114690437451783?s=20
Grimes volleyed home his third goal of the season to put Swansea ahead in the 20th minute.
Jannik Vestergaard and Abdul Fatawu responded with their first goals for Leicester in the 43rd and 63rd minutes respectively before Kelechi Iheanacho bagged his side’s third in the closing stages as the Foxes made it 11 victories from 12 games this term – ending Swansea’s four-game winning run in the process.
The opening goal was Grimes’ third of the season – meaning he already has two more to his name this term than he registered last season – and he is pleased to be making telling contributions in the final third.
“I’m happy with the numbers and hopefully I’ll keep chipping in,” he added.
“I don’t want to focus too much on myself because it’s all about the team, but I’m enjoying my football.
“I’m trying to get myself higher up the pitch, and sniff out a goal from the edge of the box and progress forward a bit more. But I’m just enjoying being part of the team and being able to chip in with goals from time to time.”
Thank god every day that Matt Grimes plays for Swansea City.
Lovely left foot on the bloke. 🦢 pic.twitter.com/E3AKGrNokB
— Jordan (@JordanWebber96) October 21, 2023
In some ways they were a cut above most other teams, on the other hand and for all their possession they were no better than us.
They created some half chances and had some efforts on goal, but so did the Swans. Darling had two free headers around the six yard box and only a finger tip pushed Cullen’s effort onto bar and Yates really should have hit an empty net.
Mot impressive for were their two wide attacking midfielders.