Manchester United’s frailties were brutally exposed as Swansea City inflicted a first defeat of the Barclays Premier League season on Louis van Gaal’s side.
After taking seven points from their opening three games, albeit in rather unconvincing fashion, United succumbed to a Swansea side that moved into fourth place with victory at the Liberty Stadium.
Van Gaal’s team had gone 429 minutes without letting in a Premier League goal only to concede twice in five minutes as Swansea claimed their fourth win in their last five meetings with United.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Van Gaal, who had watched his side dominate for much of the contest and take the lead through Juan Mata’s strike early in the second half.
But Swansea, so often a joy to watch under Garry Monk, their hugely impressive young manager, produced a fine second-half performance with André Ayew and Bafétimbi Gomis securing another fine victory.
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United arrived with the aim of moving into second place and their bright start suggested they were more than capable of doing so.
Both Memphis Depay, deployed on the left and Mata, positioned out on the right, caused Swansea problems in the opening stages.
Depay’s fizzing free kick from 20 yards had Lukasz Fabianski, the Swansea goalkeeper, scrambling across to parry, while Mata fired wide at the far post after neat work by Ander Herrera.
For all of United’s dominance, it was the hosts who should have moved ahead on 25 minutes after yet more fine play from Jonjo Shelvey.
The midfielder rolled a quick free kick into Gomis, who in turn flicked the ball through for Gylfi Sigurdsson, but the midfielder’s effort rolled agonisingly past the post.
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Two minutes later, Swansea went close again. Gomis, a constant handful for the United defence, struck the post after weaving his way through a United defence that appeared to be watching on in admiration rather than trying to stop him.
Slowly but surely Swansea, unbeaten this season, began to show the kind of football that has made them such a joy to watch in recent years.
But their failure to convert those chances before the interval was to prove costly as United moved ahead within four minutes of the restart.
Luke Shaw ran down the left before crossing to the far post where Mata was on hand to fire into the roof of the net after escaping the attention of Ashley Williams.
The Swansea captain, who was culpable for the goal, then nearly doubled his side’s deficit by deflecting Depay’s cross towards his own net only for Fabianski to produce a fine reflex save.
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It was a save that would prove vital as Swansea dragged themselves level a minute after the hour mark. Sigurdsson found time and space on the right and his inch-perfect cross was headed home by the unmarked Ayew.
The Ghanian, 25, who joined the club on a free transfer during the summer after his contract with Marseilles expired, then turned provider as Swansea moved in front.
He produced an exquisite through ball to release Gomis and the forward somehow managed to force his effort past Sergio Romero, the United goalkeeper, who fell to the ground in instalments as the ball dribbled over the line for the France striker’s ninth league goal in his past ten games.
United, with Wayne Rooney largely anonymous in attack, threw on Marouane Fellaini as they resorted to high balls towards the head of the Belgian. While that proved futile, Rooney suddenly awoke from his slumber with a quite magnificent piece of technique.
A long ball forward was instantly controlled and after sidestepping his marker, the forward appeared certain to level only for Williams to produce a fine tackle.
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That moment of hesitancy from Rooney, which was evident throughout, summed up his and United’s day. There is work to be done.