Richarlison's late winner sinks Swansea to hand Watford all three points

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Brazillian Richarlison scored an 89th minute winner to deny Swansea a point after Tammy Abraham had scored his first goal at the Liberty Stadium.

Richarlison, 20, pounced on a mistake by Roque Mesa to fire in a shot that hit the underside of the bar and bounced in - just as Swansea looked as if they had done enough to earn a point.

It meant a quick turnaround victory for Marco Silva’s side after their 6-0 thrashing at home by Manchester City last week.

Earlier, Abraham had scored his first home goal – and third of the season – since his loan move from Chelsea.

That followed Watford’s opening strike for Andre Gray after the visitors had dominated the opening half.

The defeat means Swansea have now suffered three successive home defeats since the season began, with their only points coming away from home.

Swansea manager Paul Clement had chosen to give Wilfried Bony his first Premier League start since he rejoined the club from Manchester City.

But the club’s other high profile transfer window addition – Bayern Munich’s loaned midfielder Renato Sanches – had been demoted to the bench after three underwhelming performances.

Watford welcomed back full-back Kiko Femenia after a spell out with concussion and it was the visitors – with Kiko prominent - who looked the more clear-headed in the opening moments.

They should have taken the lead in the sixth minute when the Spaniard crossed from the right into the path of Andre Gray, but the striker hesitated slightly and Alfie Mawson was able to deflect the shot wide of the post.

Swansea were struggling for possession and also to make the ball stick when they played it into Bony’s feet.

The Ivorian, whose form and fitness made him a peripheral figure at The Etihad, lacked his familiar sharpness of old and when he played a misplaced pass near the centre circle, Watford seized on the error to surge forward and take the lead in the 13th minute.

Gray picked up the loose ball, played the ball out wide to Andre Carrillo, and then raced into the box before meeting the cross with an emphatic right foot finish past a helpless Lukasz Fabianski.

Swansea responded by forcing a corner which caused alarm in the Watford defence and Federico Fernandez almost bundled the ball home at the far post.

A glancing header from Boney drifted harmlessly wide, before Watford’s superior crisp passing reasserted control for Marco Silva’s side.

Just past the half hour, they appeared to have made it 2-0 only for the impressive Carrillo’s tap in at the far post to be ruled out for offside after Richarlison had speared a pass across the home penalty area.

Swansea were edgy and error prone and their mood was summed up when Mawson gave a dreadful back pass to Fabianski, five minutes before the break.

Gray swooped, but the former Burnley striker curled his low drive inches wide of the far post.

Abdoulaye Doucoure was then booked for pulling back Leroy Fer, but when a cross was worked from the right Bony failed to connect with a header that seemed to have his name on it.

Clement must have shared the frustrations of home fans and made two changes at half-time – abandoning the caution of his three centre-backs approach in the search for something to spark his team.

Dutch defender Mike van der Hoorn made way for striker Tammy Abraham, whilst Roque Mesa replaced Sam Clucas in midfield.

The switch gave the Swans greater urgency and Watford appeared unsettled by the increased tempo.

The result was an equaliser for substitute Abraham in the 56th minute, in which Bony played a part.

Watford’s defence failed to clear a hooked cross from the left and even though Bony needed two attempts to get his shot away, Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes could only palm the ball into the path of Abraham who fired home from close range.

The goal gave new impetus to the Swans and both Abraham and Bony almost got on the end of crosses as Watford were forced to weather a storm.

But the visitors recovered to snatch victory in the dying moments through Richarlison after Mesa gave away possession in his own half.

Swansea City (3-5-2): Fabianski; Van der Hoorn (Abraham 45), Mawson, Fernandez; Naughton; Olsson; Fer, Clucas (Mesa 45), Carroll; Bony (Sanches 85), Ayew.

Watford (4-2-3-1): Gomes; Femenia, Mariappa, Kabasele, Holebas; Cleverley, Doucoure; Richarlison, Capoue (Wague 45), Carrillo (Pereyra 73); Gray (Deeney 85).