Aided by him, Swansea had tightened up defensively in the 0-0 draw with Watford but they were far too open this time. Charlie Adam hit both posts in the first half, one with a drive, one with a curler. When Swansea failed to track Joe Allen, he released Marko Arnautovic who rounded Lukasz Fabianski and emulated Allen by striking the woodwork.
The gambit of dropping the holding midfielder Leon Britton and again omitting Jack Cork seemed to backfire as the more attack-minded Leroy Fer offered too little positional discipline and Adam and Allen were afforded too much space. The latter, in particular, made the most of it.
2. Bony and Allen show Swans what they're missing
Stoke bookended the scoring with goals made in Swansea. Both scorer and creator are among their alumni. Indeed, Allen, who earned twin assists, was expected to return to the Liberty Stadium this summer. Perhaps the £15 million they banked from Liverpool for him in 2012 helped them fund Bony's arrival the following summer. He, too, seemed proof of Swansea's capacity to improve players so they could rue it when two of their old boys combined for not one, but two goals.
Yet the fact both are at Stoke is an indication they found life tougher at bigger clubs. Indeed, Bony's fourth-minute finish did not merely open his Potters account; it was his first goal in club football in 2016. His previous strike came on Boxing Day. A mere 310 days later, he prodded home Allen's scuffed shot. It was a reward for the reactions of a man who has often looked sluggish in a Stoke shirt: he responded quicker than Neil Taylor when Allen's misdirected effort angled across the penalty area.
The sense that a drought may be followed by a flood was increased when Bony headed in Allen's hooked cross for his second of the night, and the year. It made his inauspicious first involvement of the night -- an embarrassingly bad touch -- seem a distant memory. That seemed to sum up the fortunes of player who has looked cumbersome and off the pace since joining Manchester City.
Yet Swansea know better than most that Bony possesses predatory instincts. He has scored four goals in three games against them and delivered 34 goals in 70 matches in their colours. The latter is the sort of return that, if he can replicate his old form, should ensure safety for Stoke. Bony had cast off his sluggishness to deliver an improved display at Hull last week. This represented a greater step in the right direction and he was rewarded with a standing ovation.