Swansea v Derby Competition - Sky Bet Championship Venue - Swansea.com Stadium Date - 25 November 2025 Kick off - 7:45pm Following their disappointing 0-3 away defeat at the hands of Bristol City, next up for newly appointed Vitor Matos’ sinking Swansea squad is a tricky looking home match against Derby. Last Saturday, Bristol City returned to the Championship play-off places with a convincing home win over the Swans, who had new head coach Vitor Matos watching from the stands. Matos had not even taken his seat at Ashton Gate by the time the hosts had taken a fourth-minute lead through Rob Dickie's header from an Anis Mehmeti corner. Although the Swans had chances to equalise, they were passive and defensively sloppy as they fell further behind after half an hour, with Emil Riis volleying in from Mehmeti's deep cross. Again the visitors threatened to get themselves back into the contest but yet again they were undone by their vulnerability at the back, as Mehmeti's superb turn and pass freed Yu Hirakawa to run clear and finish neatly to score Bristol City's third. A first win in four moves Gerhard Struber's side up to fourth in the Championship table, albeit before Saturday's 15:00 GMT kick-offs. The Swansea, who had interim boss Darren O'Dea in charge for the first and only time, drop to 19th. The same day, Watford came from two goals down at Pride Park to register their first away victory of the Championship season and bring Derby's five-match winning streak to an end. Edo Kayembe scored twice, one from the penalty spot, after Luca Kjerrumgaard had produced a goal from nothing to get the Hornets back in the game. The Rams suffered an early blow when the Championship's joint leading goalscorer Carlton Morris was forced off with a knee injury. But defenders Dion Sanderson and Sondre Langas both scored their first goals for the club to seemingly put John Eustace's side in charge. However, the Hornets, who themselves lost Kwadwo Baah to an apparent hamstring problem, hit back to make it four games unbeaten and leapfrog Derby to go within two points of the play-off places. The Swans have played Derby on 50 previous occasions, winning 23, losing 18 and drawing 9. In the corresponding match last season, the Swans ran out 1-0 winners: Turning to tomorrow, whilst the Swans desperately need all 3pts, they most certainly cannot afford yet another defeat as it would certainly signal a headlong fall into a relegation battle. I’m hoping for a win but expecting a 1-1 draw.
Thanks Taff. Positivity in my head says that the new manager bounce which normally goes against us will help us today...3-1 Swans
Just heard his welcome speech with Gorringe.....sounds very positive and not promising earth moving specials...
Jay Fulton makes his 300th Swansea City appearances as Vitor Matos makes four changes for his first game in charge against Derby County. The Scottish midfielder brings up the landmark appearance as he closes in on 12th years of service with the Swans. Captain Ben Cabango, Josh Tymon and Zan Vipotnik also come into the team as Kaelan Casey, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Marko Stamenic and Adam Idah drop to the bench. Lawrence Vigouroux is in goal, with Cabango and Tymon slotting in alongside Cameron Burgess and Josh Key at the back. Fulton links up with Ethan Galbraith and Liam Cullen in the middle of the park, with Ronald and Jisung Eom on the flanks. Topscorer Vipotnik leads the line for the hosts. Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Jay Fulton, Ethan Galbraith, Liam Cullen; Ronald, Jisung Eom, Zan Vipotnik. Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Marko Stamenic, Melker Widell, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Goncalo Franco, Manuel Benson, Kaelan Casey, Zeidane Inoussa, Adam Idah.
Arguably, Eom, Ronald, Key and Cullen - who all start - were the poorest 4 players at Ashton Gate. Leon and/or Joey behind this? I’d have Franco before Fulton and Widell before Cullen.
Well let's hope he knows what he's doing! Realistically he'll need a few games to judge the players properly and to see if/how they can adapt to his ideas. I'll consider the next few games as experimental
