The Geordie Boy is back ... but as records show ... it won't be for long.
He has a horror injury track record that suggests he won't see Christmas out in the West Ham team.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce put his neck on the line leading into the game after revealing he opted to sign Carroll rather than Wilfried Bony in the summer of 2013, insisting his decision would be vindicated in time.
Bony has since lit up the league and is in a rich vein of form, while Carroll has struggled for both fitness and form since his club-record move to east London.
It looked as though Allardyce's comments would backfire on him and his player when Bony put the Swans in front, but Carroll's brace - plus a third from returning substitute Diafra Sakho - sealed a come-from-behind victory to leave just Chelsea and Manchester City above the Hammers.
Swansea ended the match a man down, with goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski dismissed for attempting to impede Sakho as he bore down on goal.
Alan Hutton bagged his first Aston Villa goal as they clinched a feisty 2-1 win over 10-man Leicester.
The right-back, who had been frozen out by manager Paul Lambert before this season, netted with 20 minutes left to cap their comeback.
Leonardo Ulloa ended his drought with his first goal in 10 games to put the Foxes ahead but Ciaran Clark equalised within minutes.
And Paul Konchesky was sent off late on for Leicester after clashing with Hutton - who was lucky to stay on - to compound the visitors' woes.