Rhys Clayton has a look at five instances that arose from the game yesterday against Sheffield United. Astute as ever there’s plenty to be pleased about from that 3-3 draw.

1. This was Melker Widell's best game for the Swans. He has had many encouraging cameos from the bench, always bringing bursts of energy, sharp acceleration from a standing start, and nifty close control. Now he has to turn that into consistent performances. The previous outing against Coventry was his first full 90 minutes in the league all season, a game in which he also impressed. Today, playing on the left instead of his usual attacking midfield position, he not only offered skill and a new dimension, but also physicality. He had two very good claims for a penalty thanks to his upper body strength and good positioning, and he came agonisingly close to his first Swansea goal, denied by Tyler Bindon's goal-line clearance. To improve on our wingers' collective output would not be hard, but maybe this is the way for Widell to seal his starting position. He has been capped once by Sweden in 2025. A late World Cup call-up is unlikely, but more performances like this won't hurt.

2. His fellow Scandinavian is having the reverse fortune. Leo Walta was outstanding in Finland's international break, yet cannot get minutes for the Swans. He is becoming a very important part of their national team, and played the full 90 minutes against Cape Verde and New Zealand. His rasping shot that cannoned off the crossbar from 40 yards went viral in Swansea City circles (especially since he powered away from Marko Stamenic before unleashing), and his overall performance earnt him man of the match. But in a broken and chaotic game, which could have suited him well, he stayed on the bench today. The only start of his fledgling Swans career saw him hooked at half-time against Preston, and he has played a total of eight minutes in the last five matches. Walta is on a bulking training programme (which is not a worry, Florian Wirtz was/is at Liverpool too) so this may be a slow burner.

3. I thought I would not have to think about penalties again today. Not because there was no prospect of a shoot-out this time, but because the Swans never seem to get many (see above, reference Widell). Today was only our second penalty of the season, and it is not like we have had no claims this campaign, such as in the recent Wrexham game. We tend to have more possession than our opponents, mostly in our third or the middle third, so not necessarily always in and around the penalty box, but two is far too low. I realise almost every fan will say the same about their team - Ipswich have the most with seven awarded, but surprisingly 12 teams have only two or fewer.

4. Fresh from two goals in the international break, Zan Vipotnik (below) extended his lead at the top of the goalscoring chart by putting away his penalty. We are now used to the Slovenian scoring goals, but today was his first from 12 yards. He had one other good chance early in the game, but apart from that he was fairly quiet. Again, this is not a surprise to regular fans. Vipi has been lethal in front of goal, with his 18 strikes coming from an xG of only 9.45, which tracks for a team sitting in lower-mid-table. Second is Haji Wright at top-of-the-table Coventry (16 goals, 2 penalties) and third is Ipswich's Jack Clarke (14 goals, 5 penalties). He really will be hard to keep in the summer.

5. And finally - what a game! A combination of Easter sunshine, fans eager for club football again, and two teams with a healthy amount of attacking talent paired with cavernous flaws, all made for a wonderful end-to-end spectacle. Perhaps the most entertaining game of the season, purely from a footballing perspective, gave me hope and trepidation for next season. Playing a more open, broken style of play might be the way forward - if our away form is so bad then we might as well throw some punches too. But it seemed every hopeful, looping ball upfield could bring confusion and easy knock-downs, and the likes of Gustavo Hamer found acres of space between our lines. To come back from behind twice is very commendable, even if Sheffield United's form dipped significantly pre-break. Both teams had nothing to play for, however our players left with satisfaction and cheers, the Blades left to loud boos. It could have ended 6-3 either way, so I guess 3-3 is fair.

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Photographs : Swansea Independent & Swansea City AFC