Teenage substitute Kelechi Iheanacho gave a freak stoppage-time winner as Manchester City beat coachless Swansea City 2-1 on Saturday to reclaim top spot.
Yaya Toure’s shot deflected in off Iheanacho’s back, barely two minutes after Bafetimbi Gomis’s first goal since August looked to have earned the visitors a draw at a sodden Etihad Stadium.
Wilfried Bony had headed City in front against his former club in the first half and Manuel Pellegrini’s side came perilously close to throwing two points away before claiming victory amid a remarkable finish.
Swansea, who sacked Garry Monk on Wednesday, continue to go towards trouble, having won just once in 12 league matches.
But they can take great heart from a display that troubled their opponents, and so nearly brought reward.
Caretaker manager Alan Curtis attempted to halt Swansea’s slide by picking a side without a recognised centre-forward, as Stoke City had when they beat City 2-0 seven days earlier.
Gylfi Sigurdsson played as a false nine, with Gomis dropped to the bench, and it was a ploy that created two good chances in the first 15 minutes.
Wayne Routledge was able to run onto Jack Cork’s through-ball inside the first five minutes and goalkeeper Joe Hart needed to position himself well as he advanced to block the shot with his legs.
Hart then demonstrated his alertness again, tipping over Sigurdsson’s shot after Routledge had got away down the right to cut the ball back.
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