Saturday 19th October 2013 at 15:00. Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Odds: Swansea 8/13, Draw 16/5, Sunderland 11/2 Last season 1-1 Match Preview/Team News All eyes will be on Gus Poyet as he takes charge of Sunderland for the very first time and looks to move them off the bottom of the table â where they sit after a solitary point from their opening seven games. Swansea will be glad to have a home game against a side that isnât in contention for the Champions League places or the Premier League title this season as they aim to get their first home win of the season. In terms of team news, there is a chance of Steven Fletcher returning to the Sunderland side for the trip to South Wales. He has been recovering from a dislocated shoulder so he does remain a doubt â whilst goalkeeper Kieran Westwood and defender Phil Bardsley should be available for selection after picking up a shoulder and ankle injury respectively. For Swansea, they could have a few players who have question marks over their fitness in recent weeks available for the first team this weekend. Midfielder Leon Britton and full-back Ben Davies remain slight doubts, but Pablo Hernandez could return to the side after struggling with a thigh injury whilst Jonathan De Guzman could also be considered after a groin problem. Statistics Ben Davies and Michu are Swanseaâs Premier League top scorers with two goals each. Craig Gardner and Emanuele Giaccherini are Sunderlandâs Premier League top scorers with two goals each. Swansea had 58% possession in their last league match â a 2-0 loss at Southampton Sunderland had 38% possession in their last league match â a 2-1 home loss to Manchester United Swansea home record: Played 3, Won 0, Drawn 1, Lost 2, Goals For 4, Goals Against 8 Sunderland away record: Played 3, Won 0, Drawn 1, Lost 2, Goals For 2, Goals Against 7 Swansea last six: Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 3 Sunderland last six: Won 0, Drawn 1, Lost 5 Five Players to watch Fabio Borini One of Paulo Di Canioâs deadline day signings on loan returns to a former club with his side desperate to see some quality. Can Borini provide that and get off the mark? Michu Michu was in a deeper role for the Swans against Southampton, but given the way Sunderlandâs defence has been so far this season, will Michael Laudrup put him further up the field alongside Bony? Jonjo Shelvey Shelvey has played in ever Swansea match so far this season. Though he is sometimes viewed as a Jekyll & Hyde type of footballer, he does have enough quality to shine in this game. His midfield battle with Lee Cattermole could be interesting. Lee Cattermole What Poyet will want to see in his first game in charge is some passion, character and bite. Cattermole can epitomise all of those qualities, so there will be a lot of focus on him to see if he can provide the necessary qualities to get the upper hand in the midfield. Steven Fletcher Fletcher had this knack last season of being the man to pop up with some pretty important goals for Sunderland. Though he is a doubt for Saturdayâs game, if he does play, he could come up with the necessary intervention that could lead to Sunderland getting off the mark under Poyet. Last time we met Sunderland 0-0 Swansea My Prediction Swansea 2-0 Sunderland
We'll see a different Sunderland with Poyet in charge, and their players will be looking to impress. Luckily for us he won't have been there long enough just yet to make a difference imo. If Fletcher plays he can make a difference for sure but I still see us winning this one. 3-0 Swans with Bony getting on the scoresheet.
Possible Swans line up for the game Vorm (if fit) Rangel Chico Amat Davies Shelvey Canas Dyer Michu Routledge Bony Subs: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Taylor, Britton, de Guzman, Hernandez, Vasquez
Hasn't Canas started all PL matches? Although I rate Britton highly, I think he lost his place in the best 11 to the man with the nice hairdo...
A few stats for you ahead of the game! Swansea City - Nathan Dyer swung in five crosses against Southampton and has also completed nine dribbles this season – more than any other player in the Swansea squad. Yet he has only played 386 minutes so far this term. - Another Swansea player who has impressed this season is midfielder Jonjo Shelvey. The former Liverpool man has been a creative force for the Swans, completing a pass in the opposition half every 2.8 minutes. - Ben Davies has made 172 attacking contributions so far this campaign (based on crosses, passes in the opposition half, dribbles, and shots), and also 74 defensive contributions (based on clearances, interceptions, tackles and blocks). Only one Swansea player has made more attacking contributions, and only two more defensive contributions. - Davies and his fellow full-back Angel Rangel have completed 161 and 147 passes in the opposition half this season, the third and fourth most of any defenders in the league. Sunderland - Gus Poyet should look towards Craig Gardner in his quest to improve Sunderland’s defensive fortunes. Despite only playing 350 minutes, the midfielder has made 21 tackles – the second most in the team. - Gardner’s passing has also been impressive, as he’s managed to complete a pass in the opposition half every 2.6 minutes. - Valentin Roberge is a new arrival at Sunderland this year, and he’s certainly got stuck in since his arrival. He has attempted 14 tackles, and been successful in 93% of them. - Adam Johnson has delivered 10 successful crosses this season, the second most in the Premier League, and has also completed 12 dribbles, the most in the Sunderland squad.
Latest Sunderland Premier League match. Fletcher is back from injury (by the way). please log in to view this image
This is a game we could and should win BUT........ Sunderland will be 100 mph from first to last trying to impress Poyet and kick start their season. They also know that a hard, high pressing game will trouble us because it always does and is probably the worst kept secret in the Premier League. They also have a dangerous striker in Fletcher who habitually does well against us. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that Ash isn't playing because usually he's come off well second best to him. We need to do two things above all today. Firstly we need to focus for the entire game and cut out those stupid individual mistakes which have been costing us points. Secondly, we need to inject much more pace into our play by pinging the ball about and making Sunderland work all across the park. Of course there are many other factors involved. Chances created MUST be taken and not squandered as we have been doing and I hope that some intensive work has been done on our crossing during the break. Ah, yes, the break!!! Historically we have always been crap immediately after a break but we just cannot afford to carry that on today. If we match the energy and effort that Sunderland definitely will bring to the game, we have the ability and the class to win. But I don't think it will be easy and we will need to show character to get a vital three points.
I will be very dissapointed if we lose this game, time now for us to step up a gear, and put teams like Sunderland out of their missery!.............. PS: And I hope we don't come out half asleep today
SWANS: Michel Vorm, Angel Rangel, Jordi Amat, Chico Flores, Ben Davies, Leon Britton (capt), Jonathan de Guzman, Michu, Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge, Wilfried Bony. SUBS: Gerhard Tremmel, Dwight Tiendalli, Neil Taylor, Jose Canas, Jonjo Shelvey, Alejandro Pozuelo, Alvaro Pleased with that. Seem to tick over nicely with Leon in the side.
Agree Phill, these have to be the type of games we take full points. Anything less will be a disappointment as far as I am concerned today
