Swansea City enjoyed more than just a win that deposed a Manchester City side that had led the Premier League before kick-off. Brendan Rodgers, the manager of the victors, was in no mood to let his team be treated as underdogs who had somehow snatched the three points.

"There have been some wonderful results over many years at this great club," he said, "but certainly it was a terrific performance and when you take on a team like City, with the resources they have got and to dominate the game like that, it fills me with great pride."

Rodgers was measured in his comments, but also reminded everyone that Swansea, whom he took over when they were in the Championship, had done more than merely compete with City.

He pointed to a penalty by Scott Sinclair that was saved and so prevented his side from taking the lead earlier.

"To work here at Swansea and to be allowed to work as I want to is great," he said. "Today is the best performance and result of the season. We scored and after that we showed our maturity. We dropped into our lines and blocked spaces, and it was very difficult for them to get through us.

"Some of our passing, ball retention and movement was phenomenal. We got one goal but we also missed a penalty. We could have had one or two more.

"Sometimes you get results where you take on the big guns of European football and you win the game 1-0 and you are hanging on, but we were the better side. The good thing was the penalty was early. I said to Scotty at half-time, 'We are here because of your penalties and your other contributions so don't you start getting down. Pick yourself up.' I thought he was outstanding in the second half.

"I am learning myself and I have the L plates still on. I thought it was a defining moment when we played City up there. I congratulated the players afterwards. We lost the game 4-0 but for an hour they showed that we can play our style and technical game and even hurt the biggest opponents. We just needed to continue with that and mature as the season went on."

The 39-year-old Northern Irishman took over at Swansea as recently as July 2010 and guided them to immediate promotion. It remains astonishing that the club is 11th in the table and, more importantly still, 14 points above the relegation places.

"We have great confidence when we play here at home with the crowd behind us," Rodgers said. "It's 20,000 but it feels like 50,000. They really support and they are educated in how we play and that performance shows the progress we have made.

"I wasn't that concerned about the pressure Man City were putting on at the end. We do a lot of work on managing pressure with and without the ball. When you take on a team like Man City you know somewhere along the line you are going to have to defend.

"If you look at the struggle they had to break through us it shows you the tactical ability of this team."

Rodgers singled out the winning scorer, praising the persistence of Luke Moore, a substitute here.

"Luke has been brilliant for me," the manager said. "He wished he would have come here when he was 19.

"He scored a hat-trick as a 19-year-old in the Premier League [for Aston Villa against Middlesbrough in 1996]. For whatever reason his career drifted but he has the talent to be a top, top player.

"He is quick and strong and brilliant in the air. I think he has found a home where he doesn't get criticised when he makes mistakes. If he makes a mistake we let it go and tell him to go again."

Rodgers wants to end the season "with a sprint over the finishing line". City, at least, were left panting in their wake on Sunday.