With Bafetimbi Gomis on the bench, Curtis chose to lead the line with the Ghanaian and he produced.
From the opening stages, he looked willing and full of energy, buzzing around the Sunderland back four, causing all sorts of problems.
All the early chances fell to him and he won the penalty, rightly or wrongly, that allowed Sigurdsson to level from the spot.
Soon after Naughton’s red, Ayew latched onto a long ball, beat Cattermole and smashed it into the bottom right to give the Swans the lead.