Clement ‘hoped for better’ from Swansea in defeat to Arsenal

Swansea head coach Paul Clement endured a miserable return to management as his side were soundly beaten by a rampant Arsenal.

After a battling first-half showing, the Swans collapsed in the second period, scoring two own goals in the process, on their way to a 4-0 defeat at the Liberty Stadium.

In-form Olivier Giroud gave the Gunners the lead eight minutes before half time, before Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton put through their own net after the break. Alexis Sanchez added a fourth late on.

Clement said he had wanted to see more from his team after taking charge of the Swans following the sacking of Bob Bradley.

“I was hoping for a lot better,” the former Derby County boss said. “In the first half I thought the game was fairly even.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

“Our defensive shape looked good and they were not really creating clear-cut opportunities.”

Clement also pointed to a penalty claim his side were denied in the first period after a collision between Ki Sung-yeung and Laurent Koscielny.

Referee Mike Jones booked the South Korean for diving, but Clement feels the referee got it wrong.

“I thought it had been given initially,” he said. “Then when I spoke to the player, Ki, at half-time, he told me there was contact and it was a penalty.

“I have watched all the angles after the game – the referee doesn’t get that chance – and also Koscielny’s reaction, and it’s a penalty.”