By Fraser Watson
So this time around, there was no imagining what might have been for Swansea City.
No half time lead, no controversial comeback from Manchester City, no sight of Pep Guardiola breathing huge sighs of relief at the final whistle.
But while Wednesday night didn’t produce the drama of the last FA Cup tie the two sides played out at the Liberty Stadium, there were crumbs of positivity for head Steve Cooper to cling on to.
The main one came in the form of a debut goal for Morgan Whittaker, with the 20-year-old producing a crisp finish just moments after coming on.
Whittaker, who joined from Derby on the final day of the January transfer window, flicked up Ryan Manning’s ball in from out wide before swivelling and firing a left foot volley into the bottom corner.
It proved little more than a mere consolation as City comfortably saw out the final moments for a 3-1 win, but for Cooper it cemented his perception of his new signing.
“I hope he’s pleased with that and we are pleased for him. He’s only been through the door two minutes and we can already see from training that he’s got goals from him.
“When the chance fell to him, especially on his left foot, we expected him to score.”
There was also a first start for another forward who came on board in January, loan signing Jordan Morris from DC United.
Predictably, Morris was starved of service for much of the night, but did produce an eye catching moment in the first half when he showed Eric Garcia a clean pair of heels before narrowly failing to find Yan Dhanda with his low cross.
He also was involved in a slick passing move that led to Jamal Lowe having a close range shot blocked.
“It was a difficult night for him in terms of possession but it was important for him to get a start and have some minutes – and we did see flashes of quality from him.
“He’ll grow and improve. In his two substitute appearances so far he’s looked a handful and I’m sure he’ll contribute in a positive way going forward.”
Indeed, starting with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, Swansea now face a turbulent period of 11 league games between now and March 20th. With Liam Cullen injured, reinforcements in attack are going to be key.
Both Whittaker and Morris still have much more to give to Swansea’s promotion chase, but for Cooper there was enough to suggest that two of his latest additions are going to prove very useful ones.
How can this STILL be happening in 2021? I’m so proud of who I am and representing Asians. More has to be done!😡 #NOTORACISM https://t.co/BeJ24BXSmP
— Yan (@yandhanda) February 10, 2021
It was the second senior goal of Whittaker’s career, and one he wants to use as a foundation to a strong future in Swansea colours.
“It was amazing to score and I just want to carry it on and hopefully help the team get to where they want to be next season,” he said.
“The ball popped up and I told myself to hit it and luckily, it went in. I’d have loved to celebrate, but I just wanted to get back to halfway and see if we could try and get back into it.
“Obviously, the team is the most important thing, but on a personal level getting that first goal for a new club is good for me.
“At first, I was nervous but then the excitement took over. It’s not every day you get to come on against Manchester City – especially for my Swansea debut.
“I know I have a lot of work to do, it is one game and one goal, but I hope it will stand me in good stead for the upcoming games.”