El delantero mexicano Javier "Chicharito" Hernández y el meta español David De Gea confirmaron la reacción del Manchester United, al que salvaron de la derrota en Stamford Bridge, contra el Chelsea, que llegó a tener una ventaja de tres goles.
El United, no obstante, se descuelga del City, con el que mantenía un mano a mano por el liderato. Queda ahora a dos puntos de su vecino. Pero salió reforzado tras el duelo de Londres.
Chelsea, liderado por el español Juan Mata, tuvo el partido en su mano. Sin embargo, dos penaltis, transformados por Wayne Rooney y un cabezazo de Hernández, a centro del galés Ryan Giggs, sacaron del apuro al campeón.
Mata tiró al principio del Chelsea, que suma tres empates consecutivos en la Premier. Ha perdido de vista la carrera por el título desde hace semanas. Pero afrontó motivado el duelo contra el United.
Un golpe de fortuna impulsó al cuadro de Londres, que llegaba con más frecuencia al área rival. Una jugada por la derecha de Daniel Sturridge. Su centro, sin ángulo, fue desviado con el pie por David De Gea pero el rechace dio en el cuerpo de Jonny Evans y se introdujo en la puerta del meta español pasada la media hora.
Tras el descanso, aceleró el cuadro local. La conexión española se hizo notar en el segundo tanto. Un pase de Fernando Torres, que sigue sin marcar, desde la derecha, fue aprovechado por Juan Mata, que remató de volea para batir a su compatriota De Gea.
A continuación, Mata lanzó una falta, que el brasileño David Luiz remató de cabeza para ampliar su ventaja.
El partido estaba aparentemente sentenciado. Y en pleno ataque visitante, Sturridge cometió un penalti sobre el francés Patrick Evra que transformó Wayne Rooney. El internacional inglés metió de lleno en el partido al United al transformar otro castigo, provocado, en esta ocasión, por el serbio Branislav Ivanovic.
Chelsea se fue atrás definitivamente y en un nuevo ataque, el conjunto visitante logró el empate tras un centro del galés Ryan Giggs que remató de cabeza Javier Chicharito Hernández.
En el tramo final, dos acciones espectaculares de David De Gea, una a mano cambiada tras un gran golpe franco de Mata, evitaron la derrota del Manchester a última hora.
domingo, 5 de febrero de 2012
Newcastle United 2 - 1 Aston Villa
El nuevo fichaje Papiss Demba Cisse anotó hoy el gol del triunfo del Newcastle United sobre el Aston Villa (2-1) que acerca a las "urracas" al cuarto puesto de la liga inglesa de fútbol.
El internacional senegalés, fichado del Freiburg alemán el mes pasado, anotó un soberbio tanto a 19 minutos para el final para dar el triunfo al equipo local después de que Robbie Keane igualara para el Aston Villa el tanto de Demba Ba en el primer tiempo.
El Newcastle suma ahora 42 puntos, los mismos que el cuarto clasificado, el Chelsea, que a continuación recibe al Manchester United, segundo clasificado a tres puntos del líder, el Manchester City.
El internacional senegalés, fichado del Freiburg alemán el mes pasado, anotó un soberbio tanto a 19 minutos para el final para dar el triunfo al equipo local después de que Robbie Keane igualara para el Aston Villa el tanto de Demba Ba en el primer tiempo.
El Newcastle suma ahora 42 puntos, los mismos que el cuarto clasificado, el Chelsea, que a continuación recibe al Manchester United, segundo clasificado a tres puntos del líder, el Manchester City.
sábado, 4 de febrero de 2012
Norwich City 2 - 0 Bolton Wanderers
Second-half goals from Andrew Surman and Anthony Pilkington were sufficient to give Norwich a win the Canaries deserved after dominating the first half of this match and creating the better chances in a marginally less one-sided second period.
Norwich manager Paul Lambert made four changes to the team badly beaten at Sunderland in midweek, which included returning David Fox and Pilkington to his midfield diamond in place of Bradley Johnson and Andrew Crofts, while Simeon Jackson replaced Steve Morison alongside Grant Holt up front.
Having seen his relegation-threatened side beaten just once in their previous eight outings, Bolton counterpart Owen Coyle was understandably less inclined to shake things up, but he must have been thoughtful after an opening half hour during which his side were desperately fortunate not to go behind.
Zak Whitbread headed a Fox corner wide, Holt forced the Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan to make a diving save with a volley from Jackson's cross, and Jackson himself shot just wide from a narrow angle after clever work down the left by Surman.
Bolton had yet to make a single attempt on goal when Surman came within an inch of opening the scoring in the 24th minute. Wes Hoolahan's cross was turned into his path by Holt, but with only Bogdan to beat from inside the six yard box, Surman lifted the ball against the underside of the bar. It was on his wrong foot, his right, but it was a bad miss nonetheless.
Norwich's cause was not helped by the loss of both centre-halves to what appeared to be hamstring injuries, and shortly before half-time Bolton finally fashioned a chance, a Martin Petrov shot deflected just over the bar.
The second half was a more open affair, and both sides had gone close before the hard-working Jackson made space on the right to pull the ball back across the Bolton penalty area. Surman's first effort was blocked, but the ball sat up nicely and at the second attempt Surman, this time using his right foot to better effect, volleyed it beyond Bogdan.
Both sides had chances in the final quarter, but while Petrov brought a decent save from John Ruddy with a well struck half volley, Norwich spurned several opportunities to make the game safe. Holt was the chief culprit, notably when he turned Pilkington's cross over from short range, but with five minutes remaining, Bogdan spilled Holt's shot and Pilkington turned in the rebound.
Norwich manager Paul Lambert made four changes to the team badly beaten at Sunderland in midweek, which included returning David Fox and Pilkington to his midfield diamond in place of Bradley Johnson and Andrew Crofts, while Simeon Jackson replaced Steve Morison alongside Grant Holt up front.
Having seen his relegation-threatened side beaten just once in their previous eight outings, Bolton counterpart Owen Coyle was understandably less inclined to shake things up, but he must have been thoughtful after an opening half hour during which his side were desperately fortunate not to go behind.
Zak Whitbread headed a Fox corner wide, Holt forced the Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan to make a diving save with a volley from Jackson's cross, and Jackson himself shot just wide from a narrow angle after clever work down the left by Surman.
Bolton had yet to make a single attempt on goal when Surman came within an inch of opening the scoring in the 24th minute. Wes Hoolahan's cross was turned into his path by Holt, but with only Bogdan to beat from inside the six yard box, Surman lifted the ball against the underside of the bar. It was on his wrong foot, his right, but it was a bad miss nonetheless.
Norwich's cause was not helped by the loss of both centre-halves to what appeared to be hamstring injuries, and shortly before half-time Bolton finally fashioned a chance, a Martin Petrov shot deflected just over the bar.
The second half was a more open affair, and both sides had gone close before the hard-working Jackson made space on the right to pull the ball back across the Bolton penalty area. Surman's first effort was blocked, but the ball sat up nicely and at the second attempt Surman, this time using his right foot to better effect, volleyed it beyond Bogdan.
Both sides had chances in the final quarter, but while Petrov brought a decent save from John Ruddy with a well struck half volley, Norwich spurned several opportunities to make the game safe. Holt was the chief culprit, notably when he turned Pilkington's cross over from short range, but with five minutes remaining, Bogdan spilled Holt's shot and Pilkington turned in the rebound.
QPR 1 - 2 Wolves
Substitute Kevin Doyle scored the winner and provided an assist as Wolves came from behind to beat 10-man QPR and record their first win in 12 games.
QPR took the lead when debutant Bobby Zamora drove in before Djibril Cisse saw red after he raised a hand to the neck of defender Roger Johnson.
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McCarthy revels in 'huge' Wolves win
Wolves owner Steve Morgan then got the response he wanted having lambasted the team after the 3-0 loss to Liverpool .
Matt Jarvis led the charge with his curling shot before Doyle fired home.
Visiting manager Mick McCarthy will leave Loftus Road relieved after his team recorded their first league win in 10 matches, their previous victory having come against Sunderland on 4 December .
The struggling club had drawn their last three away games 1-1 and were outplayed by Mark Hughes's recently revamped QPR for much of the opening 45 minutes.
Zamora drilled in the opener following great play by Adel Taarabt, Cisse and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Indeed, the game was one-way traffic until Cisse's sending off.
DID YOU KNOW?
Wolves have now recovered 13 points from losing positions - more than any other team in the top flight this season. QPR have dropped 15 points from winning positions - more than any other team in the Premier League.
Johnson slid in late on the France international, who retaliated by grabbing the neck of the defender, leaving referee Mark Clattenburg little choice but to send off the former Liverpool and Sunderland man in only his second game for the club.
McCarthy changed his formation after the break, taking off defender Richard Stearman and bringing on Doyle up front.
And it took only 53 seconds for the substitution to take effect.
Doyle's swinging cross from the right arrived at the feet of Jarvis, who looked up and carefully placed his shot past Paddy Kenny.
Wolves could have had added at least two more goals in the 10 minutes that followed.
Scotland international Steven Fletcher directed his header on to the bar, before his scuffed shot was cleared off the line by Anton Ferdinand.
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Cisse red card changed game - Mark Hughes
Goalkeeper Kenny then palmed away Doyle's stinging drive, and the Republic of Ireland striker also flicked a header a yard wide.
Doyle finally broke QPR's resistance when he collected Jamie O'Hara's pass before turning and beating Kenny with his shot.
QPR mounted a late revival led by Taarabt.
The Morocco international twice went close with efforts from distance, forcing Wayne Hennessey to tip over the first before dinking a shot just over the bar.
Wolves looked jittery at the back during the closing moments but managed to hold on for only their second away win in the league this season.
QPR manager Mark Hughes:
"If we had 11 v 11 I feel very confident in saying we would have won the game quite comfortably.
"But unfortunately we weren't able to keep 11 on the pitch and we conceded two poor goals in terms of what we could have done prior to the goals going in.
"I felt we did really well defensively but then we let ourselves down somewhat, certainly for the first goal and maybe we needed to be a bit stronger in our challenges for the second one."
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:
"I've been under pressure for the last 20 games as I've only won two of them," he said.
"I was under no more pressure from Wednesday night than I've been for the last 20 games."
On Cisse's red card: "You know me and my sentiments towards football now.
"That for me wasn't a sending off when I played and, strangely enough, Roger's tackle wouldn't have been a booking.
"But it is and the sending off is because you can't grab anybody by the face because it's not allowed any more.
"He was playing well so he's made a mistake and cost his team. And it did because the extra man paid dividends."
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (4) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)
Queens Park Rangers
01 Kenny
18 Young (Hall - 65' )
34 Taiwo
35 Ferdinand
42 Onuoha
04 Derry (Traore - 64' )
07 Taarabt
17 Barton
32 Wright-Phillips
23 Cisse Dismissed
52 Zamora (Hulse - 74' )
Substitutes
24 Cerny
03 Hill
05 Hall
13 Traore
12 Mackie
20 Hulse
21 Smith
Wolverhampton Wanderers
01 Hennessey
05 Stearman (Doyle - 46' )
11 Ward
14 Johnson Booked
21 Bassong Booked
32 Foley
04 Edwards
15 Frimpong (Ebanks-Blake - 24' )
17 Jarvis
24 O'Hara (Milijas - 87' )
10 Fletcher Booked
Substitutes
31 De Vries
03 Elokobi
16 Berra
12 Hunt
20 Milijas
09 Ebanks-Blake
29 Doyle
Ref: Clattenburg
Att: 17,351
QPR took the lead when debutant Bobby Zamora drove in before Djibril Cisse saw red after he raised a hand to the neck of defender Roger Johnson.
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McCarthy revels in 'huge' Wolves win
Wolves owner Steve Morgan then got the response he wanted having lambasted the team after the 3-0 loss to Liverpool .
Matt Jarvis led the charge with his curling shot before Doyle fired home.
Visiting manager Mick McCarthy will leave Loftus Road relieved after his team recorded their first league win in 10 matches, their previous victory having come against Sunderland on 4 December .
The struggling club had drawn their last three away games 1-1 and were outplayed by Mark Hughes's recently revamped QPR for much of the opening 45 minutes.
Zamora drilled in the opener following great play by Adel Taarabt, Cisse and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Indeed, the game was one-way traffic until Cisse's sending off.
DID YOU KNOW?
Wolves have now recovered 13 points from losing positions - more than any other team in the top flight this season. QPR have dropped 15 points from winning positions - more than any other team in the Premier League.
Johnson slid in late on the France international, who retaliated by grabbing the neck of the defender, leaving referee Mark Clattenburg little choice but to send off the former Liverpool and Sunderland man in only his second game for the club.
McCarthy changed his formation after the break, taking off defender Richard Stearman and bringing on Doyle up front.
And it took only 53 seconds for the substitution to take effect.
Doyle's swinging cross from the right arrived at the feet of Jarvis, who looked up and carefully placed his shot past Paddy Kenny.
Wolves could have had added at least two more goals in the 10 minutes that followed.
Scotland international Steven Fletcher directed his header on to the bar, before his scuffed shot was cleared off the line by Anton Ferdinand.
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Cisse red card changed game - Mark Hughes
Goalkeeper Kenny then palmed away Doyle's stinging drive, and the Republic of Ireland striker also flicked a header a yard wide.
Doyle finally broke QPR's resistance when he collected Jamie O'Hara's pass before turning and beating Kenny with his shot.
QPR mounted a late revival led by Taarabt.
The Morocco international twice went close with efforts from distance, forcing Wayne Hennessey to tip over the first before dinking a shot just over the bar.
Wolves looked jittery at the back during the closing moments but managed to hold on for only their second away win in the league this season.
QPR manager Mark Hughes:
"If we had 11 v 11 I feel very confident in saying we would have won the game quite comfortably.
"But unfortunately we weren't able to keep 11 on the pitch and we conceded two poor goals in terms of what we could have done prior to the goals going in.
"I felt we did really well defensively but then we let ourselves down somewhat, certainly for the first goal and maybe we needed to be a bit stronger in our challenges for the second one."
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:
"I've been under pressure for the last 20 games as I've only won two of them," he said.
"I was under no more pressure from Wednesday night than I've been for the last 20 games."
On Cisse's red card: "You know me and my sentiments towards football now.
"That for me wasn't a sending off when I played and, strangely enough, Roger's tackle wouldn't have been a booking.
"But it is and the sending off is because you can't grab anybody by the face because it's not allowed any more.
"He was playing well so he's made a mistake and cost his team. And it did because the extra man paid dividends."
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (4) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)
Queens Park Rangers
01 Kenny
18 Young (Hall - 65' )
34 Taiwo
35 Ferdinand
42 Onuoha
04 Derry (Traore - 64' )
07 Taarabt
17 Barton
32 Wright-Phillips
23 Cisse Dismissed
52 Zamora (Hulse - 74' )
Substitutes
24 Cerny
03 Hill
05 Hall
13 Traore
12 Mackie
20 Hulse
21 Smith
Wolverhampton Wanderers
01 Hennessey
05 Stearman (Doyle - 46' )
11 Ward
14 Johnson Booked
21 Bassong Booked
32 Foley
04 Edwards
15 Frimpong (Ebanks-Blake - 24' )
17 Jarvis
24 O'Hara (Milijas - 87' )
10 Fletcher Booked
Substitutes
31 De Vries
03 Elokobi
16 Berra
12 Hunt
20 Milijas
09 Ebanks-Blake
29 Doyle
Ref: Clattenburg
Att: 17,351
Wigan Athletic 1 - 1 Everton
Wigan, con el volante chileno Jean Beausejour todo el partido, igualó este sábado en calidad de local 1-1 frente al Everton en compromiso válido por la 24ª fecha de la Premier League de Inglaterra.
El ex jugador del Birmingham cumplió una aceptable presentación en el DW Stadium, generando constante peligro por la banda y ayudando en la recuperación de pelota en medioterreno.
Los tantos del encuentro llegaron recién en la recta final, exactamente en los últimos 15 minutos. Abrió la cuenta el conjunto de Beausejour a los 76' con un autogol de Phil Neville, tras centro del chileno y error del arquero Howard.
La alegría no duraría demasiado para Wigan, ya que a los 83' Victor Anichebe marcó para la visita lo que sería la paridad definitiva.
Con este resultado, la escuadra de 'Palmatoria' se mantiene en el fondo de la tabla de la Premier con 16 unidades, a cinco de escapar de la zona de descenso directo a la Championship League.
El ex jugador del Birmingham cumplió una aceptable presentación en el DW Stadium, generando constante peligro por la banda y ayudando en la recuperación de pelota en medioterreno.
Los tantos del encuentro llegaron recién en la recta final, exactamente en los últimos 15 minutos. Abrió la cuenta el conjunto de Beausejour a los 76' con un autogol de Phil Neville, tras centro del chileno y error del arquero Howard.
La alegría no duraría demasiado para Wigan, ya que a los 83' Victor Anichebe marcó para la visita lo que sería la paridad definitiva.
Con este resultado, la escuadra de 'Palmatoria' se mantiene en el fondo de la tabla de la Premier con 16 unidades, a cinco de escapar de la zona de descenso directo a la Championship League.
Manchester City 3 - 0 Fulham
La intensa nevada que caía sobre el Etihad Stadium no impidió este sábado al Manchester City llevarse los tres puntos frente al Fulham (3-0) y volver a alejarse de sus vecinos del Manchester United al frente de la Premier League, a la espera de que los Diablos Rojos visiten este domingo Stamford Bridge.
El argentino Sergio Agüero, de penalti, el norirlandés Chris Baird en propia puerta y el bosnio Edin Dzeko, a pase del Kun, sellaron el marcador de un partido cuya segunda parte se jugó con un balón amarillo para aumentar la visibilidad del esférico, sobre un terreno de juego prácticamente blanco por la nieve.
Los de Roberto Mancini saltaron al castigado césped del Etihad con la obligación de asegurar una victoria en casa para pasar página de la reciente derrota contra al Everton con la que malograron los tres puntos de ventaja que mantenían respecto al United.
Agüero volvió a echarse al equipo a la espalda y buscó desde el primer minuto espacios deshabitados donde recibir los pases del español David Silva, al mando de la línea de medios de los Citizens.
Los locales no tardaron en encontrarse con una oportunidad inmejorable para ponerse por delante, cuando, en el minuto 10, el defensa Baird derribó en el área al inglés Adam Johnson.
Agüero acertó desde los once metros con un lanzamiento suave y colocado, y los jugadores del Fulham comenzaron a asumir que los 80 minutos restantes iban a ser complicados para ellos.
La fortuna volvió a aliarse con el City a la media hora de juego, cuando el mismo Baird, que había cometido el penalti, envió la pelota a su propia red y fijó en el marcador una diferencia de dos goles que parecía insalvable para un Fulham que a duras penas se había acercado al área rival.
Alexander Kolarov, el defensa serbio de los Citizens, colgó un centro desde la banda izquierda que Agüero no alcanzó a controlar y que acabó en los pies del inglés Adam Johnson, cuyo remate rebotó en Baird antes de colarse en la portería del australiano Mark Schwarzer, estático ante el cambio de trayectoria del balón.
A medida que avanzaba el segundo tiempo, la nevada que caía sobre un Manchester en plena ola de frío se convirtió en el peor rival para ambos equipos.
Como ocurrió en otros encuentros de la Premier League, el árbitro ordenó continuar jugando hasta el minuto 90, si bien se produjeron varias pausas en el partido para que operarios del club limpiaran con palas la nieve que se acumulaba sobre las líneas del terreno de juego.
Ante la dificultad de jugar en un césped resbaladizo, los Citizens prefirieron adoptar una táctica más conservadora en la segunda parte.
Consciente, además, de que su ventaja era concluyente si no cometía errores, el City esperó en su campo a que transcurriera el tiempo sin que el Fulham, inofensivo con el balón controlado, le causara mayores preocupaciones.
Si bien la segunda mitad resultó anodina en algunos tramos, Agüero y Silva ofrecieron diversos destellos de calidad, y a veinte minutos para el final el bosnio Edin Dzeko culminó una jugada personal de Agüero para marcar el tercero y definitivo gol de la noche.
El argentino Sergio Agüero, de penalti, el norirlandés Chris Baird en propia puerta y el bosnio Edin Dzeko, a pase del Kun, sellaron el marcador de un partido cuya segunda parte se jugó con un balón amarillo para aumentar la visibilidad del esférico, sobre un terreno de juego prácticamente blanco por la nieve.
Los de Roberto Mancini saltaron al castigado césped del Etihad con la obligación de asegurar una victoria en casa para pasar página de la reciente derrota contra al Everton con la que malograron los tres puntos de ventaja que mantenían respecto al United.
Agüero volvió a echarse al equipo a la espalda y buscó desde el primer minuto espacios deshabitados donde recibir los pases del español David Silva, al mando de la línea de medios de los Citizens.
Los locales no tardaron en encontrarse con una oportunidad inmejorable para ponerse por delante, cuando, en el minuto 10, el defensa Baird derribó en el área al inglés Adam Johnson.
Agüero acertó desde los once metros con un lanzamiento suave y colocado, y los jugadores del Fulham comenzaron a asumir que los 80 minutos restantes iban a ser complicados para ellos.
La fortuna volvió a aliarse con el City a la media hora de juego, cuando el mismo Baird, que había cometido el penalti, envió la pelota a su propia red y fijó en el marcador una diferencia de dos goles que parecía insalvable para un Fulham que a duras penas se había acercado al área rival.
Alexander Kolarov, el defensa serbio de los Citizens, colgó un centro desde la banda izquierda que Agüero no alcanzó a controlar y que acabó en los pies del inglés Adam Johnson, cuyo remate rebotó en Baird antes de colarse en la portería del australiano Mark Schwarzer, estático ante el cambio de trayectoria del balón.
A medida que avanzaba el segundo tiempo, la nevada que caía sobre un Manchester en plena ola de frío se convirtió en el peor rival para ambos equipos.
Como ocurrió en otros encuentros de la Premier League, el árbitro ordenó continuar jugando hasta el minuto 90, si bien se produjeron varias pausas en el partido para que operarios del club limpiaran con palas la nieve que se acumulaba sobre las líneas del terreno de juego.
Ante la dificultad de jugar en un césped resbaladizo, los Citizens prefirieron adoptar una táctica más conservadora en la segunda parte.
Consciente, además, de que su ventaja era concluyente si no cometía errores, el City esperó en su campo a que transcurriera el tiempo sin que el Fulham, inofensivo con el balón controlado, le causara mayores preocupaciones.
Si bien la segunda mitad resultó anodina en algunos tramos, Agüero y Silva ofrecieron diversos destellos de calidad, y a veinte minutos para el final el bosnio Edin Dzeko culminó una jugada personal de Agüero para marcar el tercero y definitivo gol de la noche.
West Brom 1 - 2 Swansea
Marc-Antoine Fortune put the Baggies ahead, firing in Jonas Olsson's flick from a corner, as West Brom sought a first home league win since November.
But Gylfi Sigurdsson inspired a great comeback as he calmly slotted home Neil Taylor's cross to put Swansea level.
Sigurdsson then set-up Graham with a lovely ball that the striker guided in.
Graham's 10th of the season helped move Swansea back into the top-flight's top 10 and onto 30 points, with 14 games remaining, as the newly-promoted side bid to steer away from a relegation battle.
Swansea had the worst away record this season but they fought for a second away win on successive trips to the West Midlands as Brendan Rodgers' men followed up their triumph at Aston Villa in January by condemning West Brom to a fourth home defeat in a row.
West Brom will now be looking nervously over their shoulder as The Baggies are three places - and six points - above the Premier League drop-zone with in-form Sunderland, Chelsea and Manchester United to play in three of their next four games.
And Baggies boss Roy Hodgson will have been frustrated not to win an early penalty in The Hawthorns snowstorm as Gareth McAuley's close-range header seemed to hit Swans defender Ashley Williams on the arm but referee Jonathan Moss was unmoved.
Sigurdsson's cutting edge would have earned plaudits at West Brom but almost as important was him heading Peter Odemwingie's first-half effort off the line as it kept Swansea level, while Fortune's goal-bound follow-up was blocked.
The flashpoint of a pretty uneventful first-half was an off-the-ball scuffle between Williams and Odemwinge, unseen by official Moss.
Swansea's Wales international Williams seemingly stood on Odemwingie's foot during a heated discussion while West Brom's Nigerian striker retaliated with a swing of his elbow.
The second-half quickly exploded into life with three goals inside five minutes that proved decisive.
Fortune's first top-flight goal in 12 months sent relief around The Hawthorns as the French striker fired past Swans keeper Michel Vorm at an angle after Jonas Olsson had flicked on Graham Dorrans' left-wing corner.
But that relief quickly evaporated as Sigurdsson levelled within 37 seconds of the restart.
The midfielder passed Taylor's teasing low cross past Baggies keeper Ben Foster for his first Swansea goal and third goal in as many games against West Brom.
And it was perhaps not surprising that an Icelandic international was excelling in the freezing conditions as Sigurdsson turned provider with a cross whipped in from the right that Graham managed to steer into the corner of Foster's net with a nudge of his left boot.
Graham was denied a chance to extend Swansea's lead thanks to great covering by Olsson as the West Brom defender got to Taylor's low left-wing cut-back before the Swansea top-scorer.
Nathan Dyer also had great chances to put the Swans victory beyond doubt.
But Odemwingie should have equalised late on for West Brom as he missed the target with the goal at his mercy after a lovely flighted ball from Dorrans.
And Swansea clung onto their lead despite another superb chance for Fortune but his injury time shot squirmed under Vorm's body and wide.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (3) & SUBSTITUTIONS (4)
West Bromwich Albion
01 Foster
03 Olsson
12 Reid
20 Shorey Booked
23 McAuley
07 Morrison Booked
14 Thomas (Tchoyi - 72' )
17 Dorrans (Cox - 71' )
21 Mulumbu (Scharner - 64' )
24 Odemwingie
32 Fortune
Substitutes
13 Fulop
06 Ridgewell
28 Jones
05 Tchoyi
08 Andrews
33 Scharner
31 Cox
Swansea City
01 Vorm
02 Williams
03 Taylor
04 Caulker
22 Rangel
07 Britton Booked
24 Allen
42 Sigurdsson
10 Graham
11 Sinclair
12 Dyer (Routledge - 88' )
Substitutes
25 Tremmel
16 Monk
15 Routledge
17 McEachran
26 Agustien
18 Lita
19 Moore
Ref: Moss
Att: 24,274
But Gylfi Sigurdsson inspired a great comeback as he calmly slotted home Neil Taylor's cross to put Swansea level.
Sigurdsson then set-up Graham with a lovely ball that the striker guided in.
Graham's 10th of the season helped move Swansea back into the top-flight's top 10 and onto 30 points, with 14 games remaining, as the newly-promoted side bid to steer away from a relegation battle.
Swansea had the worst away record this season but they fought for a second away win on successive trips to the West Midlands as Brendan Rodgers' men followed up their triumph at Aston Villa in January by condemning West Brom to a fourth home defeat in a row.
West Brom will now be looking nervously over their shoulder as The Baggies are three places - and six points - above the Premier League drop-zone with in-form Sunderland, Chelsea and Manchester United to play in three of their next four games.
And Baggies boss Roy Hodgson will have been frustrated not to win an early penalty in The Hawthorns snowstorm as Gareth McAuley's close-range header seemed to hit Swans defender Ashley Williams on the arm but referee Jonathan Moss was unmoved.
Sigurdsson's cutting edge would have earned plaudits at West Brom but almost as important was him heading Peter Odemwingie's first-half effort off the line as it kept Swansea level, while Fortune's goal-bound follow-up was blocked.
The flashpoint of a pretty uneventful first-half was an off-the-ball scuffle between Williams and Odemwinge, unseen by official Moss.
Swansea's Wales international Williams seemingly stood on Odemwingie's foot during a heated discussion while West Brom's Nigerian striker retaliated with a swing of his elbow.
The second-half quickly exploded into life with three goals inside five minutes that proved decisive.
Fortune's first top-flight goal in 12 months sent relief around The Hawthorns as the French striker fired past Swans keeper Michel Vorm at an angle after Jonas Olsson had flicked on Graham Dorrans' left-wing corner.
But that relief quickly evaporated as Sigurdsson levelled within 37 seconds of the restart.
The midfielder passed Taylor's teasing low cross past Baggies keeper Ben Foster for his first Swansea goal and third goal in as many games against West Brom.
And it was perhaps not surprising that an Icelandic international was excelling in the freezing conditions as Sigurdsson turned provider with a cross whipped in from the right that Graham managed to steer into the corner of Foster's net with a nudge of his left boot.
Graham was denied a chance to extend Swansea's lead thanks to great covering by Olsson as the West Brom defender got to Taylor's low left-wing cut-back before the Swansea top-scorer.
Nathan Dyer also had great chances to put the Swans victory beyond doubt.
But Odemwingie should have equalised late on for West Brom as he missed the target with the goal at his mercy after a lovely flighted ball from Dorrans.
And Swansea clung onto their lead despite another superb chance for Fortune but his injury time shot squirmed under Vorm's body and wide.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (3) & SUBSTITUTIONS (4)
West Bromwich Albion
01 Foster
03 Olsson
12 Reid
20 Shorey Booked
23 McAuley
07 Morrison Booked
14 Thomas (Tchoyi - 72' )
17 Dorrans (Cox - 71' )
21 Mulumbu (Scharner - 64' )
24 Odemwingie
32 Fortune
Substitutes
13 Fulop
06 Ridgewell
28 Jones
05 Tchoyi
08 Andrews
33 Scharner
31 Cox
Swansea City
01 Vorm
02 Williams
03 Taylor
04 Caulker
22 Rangel
07 Britton Booked
24 Allen
42 Sigurdsson
10 Graham
11 Sinclair
12 Dyer (Routledge - 88' )
Substitutes
25 Tremmel
16 Monk
15 Routledge
17 McEachran
26 Agustien
18 Lita
19 Moore
Ref: Moss
Att: 24,274
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