There would have been a rather ominous gulp from thousands of City fans when the team-sheet was announced at 11am as injury and an illness bug spread through the side.
Those concerns were then exaggerated 30 minutes before kick-off when Rob Atkinson was the latest name to fall victim to the flu meaning Cam Pring was handed a rare start at the back in a makeshift three alongside Zak Vyner and George Tanner.
The pessimists would have felt justified in their fears especially considering the form of the two sides coming into the contest. Swansea arrived at Ashton Gate on the back of seven wins in nine matches while City had won just two in the last nine, including that defeat against Reading last weekend.
Fears of being played off the park quickly evaporated after a blistering start by the hosts and their lead was fully deserved with Tommy Conway grabbing his eighth of the season to cement his place as the club's top scorer.
It was the ideal reaction coming off the back of that dismal 2-0 loss and City would have felt disappointed not to have secured all three points when Olivier Ntcham struck from distance to share the spoils. Not many would have complained with a point at the beginning of the game against a side who will undoubtedly be among the mix and the end of the season.
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Here's the verdict from a hard-fought and entertaining game in BS3.
Vyner's redemption
Cast your mind back to last season in the away fixture at Swansea when City were on the receiving end of a 3-1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium in February. For those who managed to erase it from their memories, the Robins squandered a 1-0 lead at half-time with a second-half capitulation to leave Pearson seething.
It was the turning point in Vyner's season who endured a very difficult afternoon in particular. That was reflected in the manager's future team selection with the centre-back failing to start another game all season, earning just 45 minutes of league football when he came on at half-time in a 1-1 draw with Peterborough.
It's fair to say the majority of supporters would have presumed that was the end for Vyner as Pearson looked to trade his way to success in the transfer market. It's been well documented of the factors that perhaps kept him at Ashton Gate with City struggling to land a replacement but yesterday would have felt like a personal shot of redemption for the 25-year-old.
With City's bout of flu spreading through the camp, Vyner lined up in the middle of the back three with George Tanner to his right and Cam Pring to his left. The former was making his first league start since November 2021 while the latter's last appearance came in April.
You also have to factor in that neither Tanner nor Pring are natural central defenders so there was certainly an extra emphasis and responsibility on Vyner's shoulders to be that senior figure at the back. It was a task that he relished, showing his leadership ability by being in constant communication with his team-mates in a disciplined and resolute showing.
Vyner was constantly issuing instructions including telling them to maintain concentration as Swansea looked to find gaps between the back. City will feel disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet having done everything right but an unfortunate deflection from Ntcham's strike which arrowed into the corner.
That performance, which seemed more significant given the debacle of last season, is a reflection of the season he is having so far. Consistency has often been a weakness in his game but he seems to have eradicated that mostly from his game and that is down to the confidence he has in himself.
Yesterday showed there was more to Vyner than just his athleticism and all the attributes we see on a weekly basis, he proved he can be a figure of authority alongside others who are less experienced than himself.
It's a numbers game
A stat popped up on Sky during the game which was very revealing about City's tactics, their strengths and weaknesses. It said City have won eight, drawn one (now two) and lost two when they've had less than 51 per cent of possession in matches.
On the flip side of that, City have won none, drawn two and lost six when they've had more than 52 per cent of possession during a game. Therefore going up against one of the highest-based possession teams in the league would have suited Pearson's tactics down to a tee.
Just to confirm, the final possession stats of yesterday's game - Swansea 72% and Bristol City 28%. In the build-up to the match, Pearson spoke about how the pace of his forwards would prove effective against Russell Martin's side because it plays to their strengths and that's on the counter-attack.
With Weimann suffering illness, Pearson opted for the dynamic trio of Antoine Semenyo, Nahki Wells and Tommy Conway to wreak havoc in the Swansea defence. Semenyo lined up behind his team-mates but the trio were able to switch and interchange throughout the game to keep their opponents on their toes.
Pearson could have opted with a flat three in midfield again but he decided to leave Joe Williams on the bench and it paid off. With Swansea eager to play it out of the back, the pace and energy of City's strikers were able to disrupt their rhythm and pinch the ball back in high and dangerous areas.
As the manager mentioned in his post-match press conference, City could have been out of sight at half-time had they taken their chances. Semenyo was guilty of missing the best one in the opening minutes when his strike from close range was somehow tipped wide from the keeper.
The striker, who is now nine games without a goal, had another opportunity in the second half but his tame effort fell harmlessly into Steven Benda's arms. Nahki Wells also had a decent effort saved by the keeper's legs during the opening 45 minutes.
But it does pose a question as to how City can be more effectual against sides who are happy for them to take control of the game. City come up against Sheffield United and Middlesbrough in their next two matches, both sides who are in the top seven of the Championship possession stats so that is likely to be a debate for another day.
Pring's statement
Is that finally the performance that pushes him towards the forefront of Nigel Pearson's mind? Pring can probably and rightfully feel a little aggrieved at the lack of opportunities which have come his way this season.
It's quite difficult to believe that was his first start in the league start since a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth at the beginning of April before failing to see another minute in the final six matches of the end of last season.
His absence from the side, including being out of the squad for the final four matches carried into the new campaign with Pring out of the matchday squad for 10 of the first 12 games of the current campaign.
Before today, he had come off the bench three times in the league with a combined minutes total of 60 while playing the full 90 minutes in the two Carabao Cup matches earlier in the season.
Although his prolonged absence has left many scratching their heads with a number of conspiracies being bounded around. A falling out with the manager has been one, his fitness levels another while others may argue that he might just not be up to the standards to play in Pearson's side.
At least two of those statements can be debunked after yesterday with Pring slotting into an unfamiliar position in the back three with around an hour's notice when Atkinson had to pull out with illness. Pring didn't put a foot wrong all game and his confidence seemed to grow as the contest went on with an array of charging runs forward.
He won his headers when required and his pace proved crucial against the difficult and unpredictable customer in Michael Obafemi. There was one moment in particular in the first half when the forward was released up the field in a foot race with Pring.
He got himself into the box but Pring pulled off a perfectly timed tackle to see the ball out for a corner. He added physicality at the back but also proved he can be a threat going forward.
In the final moments of the game, he took the ball from defence and burst forward at full pelt, surging into the Swansea half before finding Chris Martin and then trudging back to position. It was a risk given the scoreline and time of the game but it relieved the pressure on the backline.
It's also worth noting he was named the fan's Man of the Match.
Whether Pring has been forced to earn the trust of the manager again following a difficult spell in the second half of last season, only Pearson knows, but with his showings so far this season he has earned his opportunity to have more of an impact in the side.
A punch above
It's worth highlighting the performance of keeper Max O'Leary considering how the goalkeeper situation has unfolded over the last few weeks. He's come into the side for the last five matches firmly in the spotlight after replacing the captain between the sticks.
Judging by Pearson's comments over the weeks in the aftermath of Dan Bentley's exclusion from the side, the reasoning seems to be his ability to command his area from deliveries. Barring one blip against Millwall, when Tomas Kalas challenged for his ball, O'Leary has passed his audition.
Swansea had 26 crosses in total and 11 corners. Coming into the game with the worst set-piece goals-against record in the Championship, there is both a pressure on the manager and the players to improve that record if City are to climb the table and shake off their demons.
O'Leary was commanding in coming out and either catching the ball or punching it clear on countless occasions. One cross in the first half was destined to hit the Swansea man at the back post but the Republic of Ireland international surged off his line to make the catch which received a welcome round of applause from Pearson on the touchline.
He didn't have to do much in regards to shot-stopping, which is credit to the players in front of him, but it was another reassuring showing having dealt with everything that came at him.
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