Gylfi Sigurdsson insists the great escape is still on for Swansea City, despite having to share the spoils at Manchester United where Paul Clement accused Marcus Rashford of deceiving the referee.
Sigurdsson earned a 1-1 draw for the Swans with a stunning trademark free-kick at Old Trafford.
Having claimed a deserved point, Swansea remain 18th in the Premier League table, two points adrift of 17th-placed Hull with both sides having three games left.
But Sigurdsson felt the performance and point will provide the squad with a big boost going into the matches with Everton, Sunderland and West Brom.
“I thought we deserved a point after the performance we put in today,” said Sigurdsson, who has been directly involved in 21 of Swansea’s 40 Premier League goals this season (nine goals, 12 assists).
“It was a very important result because we are a point closer to Hull with three games to go.
“It gives us something to build on going into the next match. They will be three difficult games, but we go into them with confidence.
“It is going to be very tough. In my opinion it will go down to the last game.
“We have very good team spirit. Before the Stoke game we had not won in six games, but we always believed we could turn it around.
“That team spirit will be vital for us in the next three games.”
Sigurdsson’s goal follows up a successful strike rate at Old Trafford, with the 27-year-old becoming the first player to score in three consecutive Premier League away appearances at the venue since Sergio Aguero in April 2015.
Of his goal, he added: “I was telling the boys to get on to the keeper because Herrera was standing on the line. He then saw me pointing at the keeper and he decided to rejoin the wall. So I made my mind up to go for the target – thankfully it went in.
“It was a fantastic feeling to score at a stadium like Old Trafford and considering the situation we are in. Hopefully, that will help us retain our Premier League status.”
Referee Neil Swarbrick awarded United a first-half spot-kick, which was converted by Wayne Rooney, after Rashford went down in the box in first-half stoppage time as Lukasz Fabianski dived at his feet.
Replays indicated Rashford was already on his way to the ground before there was contact between him and Fabianski.
When asked about the incident after the game, Swans head coach Clement said: “Replays show the player deceived the referee – there is no other way to look at it.
“You could say he has dangled a leg to get the contact, but he is [going] down before that, before there is any kind of contact.”
He added: “Lukasz was furious. He said he had gone down to get his hands on the ball, could see he couldn’t get it so came away from it, and that he (Rashford) had gone down before the contact.”
Clement said Swarbrick, who delayed briefly before pointing to the spot, had told him he had been “sure what he had seen” – something the Swans boss believed was not the case.
“At the time, I looked at the reaction of my players first of all, and they were furious about it, so that puts a doubt in your mind as to whether it was the correct decision,” Clement said.
“Also, the delay between the contact and the decision being given – there was a brief pause which normally would say there is doubt.
“The referee said to me after the game he was sure what he had seen and was just confirming with the assistant. I don’t know why he even asked him, because he is almost as far away as I was.
“I don’t know [if Swarbrick guessed]. I just felt there was doubt – I don’t think he was sure.
“I only know myself, and if I’m sure about something, I don’t check with my assistants. I make the decision. That is it.”
Clement feels officials should be assisted by video technology when making decisions over such incidents.
“For me, it has to be done,” said Clement, whose relegation-threatened side equalised through Sigurdsson’s 79th-minute free-kick.
“For me it is unbelievable that in this day and age, with the technology we have available, that the only people that don’t get the help are the ones who most need it.
“We can see it, you can see it, the fans can see it, everybody can see it – apart from the officials. It has to be done. It is long overdue.”
