Swansea do it for Francesco Guidolin

Swansea 1 Norwich 0: Ashley Williams says the Swansea players have accepted more responsibility since head coach Francesco Guidolin was admitted to hospital.

Swansea recorded back-to-back Barclays Premier League wins for only the second time this season as Gylfi Sigurdsson’s sixth goal in 10 games saw off relegation rivals Norwich.

The victory came only three days after Swansea’s shock 2-1 success at Arsenal, but Guidolin missed both games with a chest infection which he is still being treated for at a London hospital.

First team coach Alan Curtis was in charge of team affairs, but Williams said the onus has been on the players to respond to Guidolin’s absence. “With the gaffer not being here we’ve had to step up a little bit and try and make it smoother on game day and in training,” Williams said after Swansea had put nine points between themselves and the drop zone.

“Going to London for a week [for the Tottenham and Arsenal games] has brought us closer together as a squad and we can’t really ask more from two games. The gaffer’s not been well and hopefully the two wins have cheered him up from his hospital bed.

“Before he went into hospital he set us up for the games and he’s been brilliant since he came in. Hopefully he will be back in Swansea soon, fit and well and back on the training pitch.”

Winless in nine games, Canaries defender Ryan Bennett already has his eye on upcoming ‘six-pointers’ with fellow strugglers: “It’s difficult for us, but it’s difficult for Sunderland and Newcastle too. We know we need to win when we play them.”

SWANSEA:

Fabianski, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Cork, Britton (Fer 55), Ayew (Gomis 82), Sigurdsson, Routledge, Paloschi (Barrow 46).

Subs not used:

Amat, Nordfeldt, Montero, Naughton.

NORWICH:

Ruddy, Ivo Pinto, Martin,Klose, Brady (Bennett 27), Redmond, O’Neil, Howson, Naismith (Bamford 64), Hoolahan, Jerome (Mbokani 64).

Subs not used:

Rudd, Jarvis, Dorrans, Mulumbu.

Referee:

Craig Pawson