Conor Hourihane gave Aston Villa a priceless Boxing Day victory over Swansea as Dean Smith’s side improved their Championship play-off hopes at the Liberty Stadium.
Villa have struggled to keep clean sheets this season, but their sixth shut-out of the campaign was enough to seal three points as Wilfried Bony missed a last-gasp penalty for the hosts.
Villa started poorly and had things far from their own way as both sides had chances in what was entertaining festive fare.
But when push came to shove, Swansea couldn’t finish their chances when they came – despite having more of the ball – and Hourihane provided the game’s only goal.
Bony had the chance to save a point for Swansea from the spot late on, but his effort from 12 yards was superbly saved by Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.
Villa just didn’t get going in the first 15 minutes and boss Smith and his assistant John Terry cut concerned figures in the away team’s technical area.
Swansea – by contrast – made a bright start. Referee Roger East waved away hopeful home penalty shouts after Daniel James fell under a John McGinn challenge, Bersant Celina shot past the post, and Mike van der Hoorn’s header was saved by Nyland.
Against the run of play, Villa nearly opened the scoring.
Tammy Abraham headed down an Anwar El Ghazi cross and McGinn fired on target, only to see Erwin Mulder stand stall in the Swansea goal and produce an impressive point-blank save.
Celina failed to find the target again, but his Swansea side were still the better of the two outfits as Villa struggled to link play with the isolated Abraham. McGinn was their bright spark.
Still, Swansea were well on top. Van der Hoorn led a counter attack and after intercepting an Abraham ball, the centre-half’s pass freed the flying James. He crossed from the left to find Oli McBurnie, only for desperate Villa defence to crowd out the striker.
The ball really needed to be delivered a fraction earlier. Abraham, Yannick Bolasie and McGinn all headed wide at the other end as the two teams went to the break level with Villa finally having built up a head of steam. The game opened up on its resumption.
Swansea skipper Leroy Fer shot straight at Nyland and there were chances at both ends as Bolasie saw a shot blocked, the ball looping up and forcing Mulder to flap clear. The home goalkeeper was in impressive form, beating away two Hourihane free-kicks in quick succession.
Swansea, all of a sudden, were sloppy. Potter swapped James for Jefferson Montero, but through no fault of the Swansea manager, the change coincided with his team falling behind.
Villa full-back Alan Hutton was given too much room down the left and he stood up a cross to the far post where Hourihane met it with his head. The pace on the ball was too much for Mulder who got a hand to it, but was beaten as it went in off the crossbar.
Villa’s players celebrated wildly in front of a sold-out away end. Swansea introduced Bony and Nathan Dyer as they looked for an equaliser.
Bony did work Nyland from range and McGinn fired in another shot, while Van der Hoorn’s header from a corner rebounded off a post.
Connor Roberts appealed for handball against El Ghazi, but Swansea were then given the perfect opportunity to rescue a draw.
Competing for a high ball, Dyer was needlessly bundled over by El Ghazi and East rightly pointed to the spot. Bony stepped up, but Nyland was more than equal to the task as he sent Swansea to a second straight defeat.