Swansea City 0 Manchester United 1: Rodgers expects champions will ensure race for title goes all way

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side claimed a fifth win and clean sheet in a row after Javier Hernandez capitalised on a calamitous error by Angel Rangel to grab the only goal in their 1-0 victory at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday evening.

That meant Swansea suffered their first home defeat of the season, but more importantly for the champions it ensured they remain just five points adrift of City at the top of the table.

City maintained their unbeaten start to the season as they impressively ended Newcastle’s with a 3-1 success at the Etihad Stadium but, after seeing United turn in a clinical, efficient display in South Wales, Rodgers does not see the title chase turning into a one-horse race.

He said: “The Manchester United players are genuine winners, it is their mentality to keep going until the end.

“They are experienced winners and they know what it takes. They will just keep chipping away. They knew that this was a difficult game for them but they have come out the other side with a victory.

“Manchester United will continue to chase. City have really come to the party but Manchester United will always be there.”

While the visitors, with Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic their outstanding performers, always appeared to have the game under control after Hernandez’s 11th-minute strike, Swansea had a handful of bright periods and were left to rue a terrible miss by winger Scott Sinclair.

The former Chelsea man appeared to have a simple tap-in when Wayne Routledge’s shot found its way to him in front of an open goal seven yards out, but he missed his kick and the ball rebounded away to safety off his standing leg.

That proved to be Swansea’s best chance and Rodgers felt that his side had been over-awed by their opponents in the first half, although he admitted that was understandable given that some members of his squad have been with the club since their League Two days.

“It was a good performance from us and we will take that into Aston Villa next weekend,” he said.

“But I said at half-time ‘Now you know what shirt you are swapping let’s go out and play the game. You know what shirt you want because you’ve had enough time looking at it’.

“But that is understandable because a lot of these boys were told they were not good enough for this level.”