Manchester City vs. Swansea: Score, Reaction from 2015 Premier League Match

Kelechi Iheanacho scored in second-half stoppage time to earn Manchester City a thrilling 2-1 victory over Swansea City at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The Swans were playing their first match in more than a decade without Garry Monk being associated with the club. The former defender and, since 2014, manager got sacked this week with Swansea seeking a spark after a slow start to the campaign. Alan Curtis assumed a caretaker role to fill the void.

A trip to face City was always an uphill battle for a club in transition. While their overall level of play improved, they weren't able to take advantage of their attacking chances. As a result, the home side claimed all three points in dramatic fashion and moved to the top of the table, at least for the time being.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini has dealt with defensive woes throughout the season, but he reiterated ahead of the fixture that he wasn't looking to change the side's approach. He discussed why he's trying to maintain the attacking focus, as relayed by Joe Bernstein of the Daily Mail.

"I like to play entertaining football, I like to play attractive football. I like to score a lot of goals," Pellegrini said. "I want for the fans to enjoy the game. I think that is the best way to win titles. That is the most important thing."

The Sky Blues clearly followed orders as the match took on a frantic feel in the early going. The sides exchanged scoring opportunities inside the first 30 minutes thanks in large part to defensive lapses at both ends. City were the first to capitalize on one of those chances.

Jesus Navas provided the delivery as he whipped in a perfectly placed corner to the top of the six-yard box. Wilfried Bony made a nice run to create space for himself and easily headed the ball past Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who was left out to dry by his defenders.

OptaJoe spotlighted the striker's success when these sides face off:

ESPN FC noted Bony opted not to celebrate after the opening tally out of respect:

The game became a little more structured after the goal. The wide-open nature of the action faded as City enjoyed larger spells of possession, but the Swans' back line rose to the occasion to ensure they didn't fall behind by two before the break.

WhoScored.com showed how things broke down at halftime:

The second half took on a more physical, chippy tone. City attempted to impose their will on Swansea defensively and picked up three yellow cards in the process.

Although it kept the visitors at bay for a while, the Swans finally managed to find an equalizer late. Substitute Bafetimbi Gomis, who caused problems from the moment he entered the match, found some space in the box and unleashed a laser past Joe Hart.

City fought right back, though. Just two minutes later, Toure beat multiple Swansea defenders before taking a shot that took a fortuitous bounce off teammate Iheanacho and over the overreached arm of Fabianski for the winning goal.

Manchester City passed along the final numbers:

Looking ahead, City finally receive a brief respite amid an extremely busy stretch of matches. They don't return to action until Dec. 21 for a high-profile Premier League clash with Arsenal. A chance to grab some much-needed rest before that fixture is ideal for Pellegrini's group.

Swansea, meanwhile, return home for matches against West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion over the next two weeks. The key will be trying to find some stability on the training ground while the club works to find a new manager. Otherwise, an already frustrating start will become even more problematic.

Post-Match Reaction

City provided Pellegrini's remarks about the importance of getting in the win column today given the surrounding circumstances:

Curtis rightfully came away disappointed with the final result, but still felt good about what his players showed after an emotional week, per Andy Hampson of the Press Association:

A short lapse by Swansea after their goal and a bit of good fortune for City was the difference. The Swans played well enough to warrant a point, but things simply haven't been falling their way so far this term and that continued Saturday.

Meanwhile, City must use the next nine days to get healthy and try to work out some of the defensive issues. While they secured the three points, more complete performances will be needed moving forward.