Three second-half goals gave Swansea City victory as they beat Birmingham City 3-0 at Liberty Stadium for their best start to a season in 41 years.
After a goalless opening 45 minutes, half-time substitute Kyle Naughton fired in the opener with a 63rd minute long-range strike after Birmingham failed to clear the danger.
Just four minutes later and the home side were 2-0 up, Bersant Celina rifling a powerful effort into the roof of the net.
Swansea continued to dominate and when Marc Roberts tripped Yan Dhanda, a penalty was given and converted by Borja Baston who sent Lee Camp the wrong way to claim his fifth goal of the season.
The win moves Swansea into second, where they are joint top with Leeds United, who they face next Saturday, on 13 points.
This latest victory confirmed Swansea’s longest unbeaten home run – 14 games – since the 1999/00 season when they were crowned fourth division champions.
Birmingham boss Pep Clotet, a familiar face in Swansea from his time as Garry Monk’s assistant during their Premier League days, built his game-plan on getting as many men behind the ball as possible.
It worked – just about – at 0-0, but Birmingham offered next to nothing in attack and the game was done as soon as Naughton lashed home.
Swansea fashioned early half-chances for Dhanda and Borja, while Andre Ayew eagerly went in search of his first goal in English league football since scoring for West Ham in December 2017.
Ayew met Jake Bidwell’s cross with a header that Camp safely gathered in the Birmingham goal, and then blazed over after controlling Matt Grimes’ delightful pass on his chest.
Borja went close himself after the break when he met Grimes’ free-kick to draw a wonderful acrobatic stop from Camp.
But Birmingham’s escape was brief as Naughton pounced seconds after Borja felt he had been pushed in the penalty area.
Naughton sized up the opportunity from 20 yards and drove home only his fourth goal in four-and-a-half years at Swansea, and his first in nearly 12 months.
Swansea doubled their lead five minutes later when Mike Van Der Hoorn out-muscled Fran Villalba and fed Celina, who smashed home from a tight angle.
Borja settled matters by rolling home his fifth goal of the season from the spot, Roberts’ needless trip on Dhanda putting the seal on Birmingham’s misery.
