Leicester v Swans: The big talking points
Swansea City face another difficult Premier League examination when they go to Leicester City this weekend.
But Carlos Carvalhal’s men head to the East Midlands with confidence having lost only once in eight games since the Portuguese took charge.
Here are all the key talking points heading into the Leicester clash.
The dust settles
As normal service resumes after the uncertainty of the transfer window, Carvalhal is relieved to be focusing on matches rather than potential transfers.
The Swans boss was happy with the club’s work on deadline day, when Andre Ayew and Andy King both arrived at the Liberty.
King is ineligible to feature against his parent club this weekend, though, while the Swans must wait to see whether Ayew can make his second debut for the club.
The 28-year-old picked up a hamstring problem in his final weeks at West Ham and faces a late fitness check.
Leicester, meantime, look set to be without Riyad Mahrez tomorrow after all the speculation linking him with a possible move to Manchester City.
Soaring Swans
Few could have predicted when Carvalhal arrived at the Liberty a little over a month ago what an impact he would have.
The Swans have lost only one of eight games under the Portuguese, taking 10 points from a possible 15 in the league.
That is quite a turnaround for a side who had banked just 13 points from their 20 league outings before Carvalhal’s appointment.
They go to Leicester after their first back-to-back Premier League victories this season, with the wins coming against two superpowers in Liverpool and Arsenal.
Can they make it a famous treble this weekend?
Puel power
Since former Southampton boss Claude Puel was named Leicester manager in October, the Foxes have taken 25 points from their 16 Premier League games.
That is a better return than any side in the division outside the big six.
After defeat at Everton in midweek ended a five-game unbeaten streak, Puel will expect his team to bounce back this weekend.
Sam’s special day
Sam Clucas will be keen to make an impression against Leicester given that they are the club who told him he was not big enough to make it in professional football when he was a teenager.
Having been released by the Foxes, Clucas had to battle to make it in the Football League, never mind the top flight.
Yet these days he is an established Premier League player, and he heads to Leicester having produced the best performance of his Swans career on Tuesday night.
Unhappy hunting ground
The Swans must hope the history books count for nothing tomorrow, for their record at Leicester is not pretty.
In 19 away games against the Foxes stretching back to the 1920s, the Swans have chalked up just two wins – the last of which came 68 years ago.
There have been three defeats in three Premier League visits to a ground where the Swans have never triumphed, for the last success in Leicester was at Filbert Street. Leroy Fer headed home at Leicester last season, but his team were beaten 2-1.
Carvalhal’s men will look to change the record this weekend.
Jordan’s hot streak
Jordan Ayew will walk out in confident mood tomorrow having made it five goals in 10 games thanks to his midweek strike against Arsenal.
The former Aston Villa man is enjoying his best spell of form since he joined the Swans just over a year ago.
Long may it continue.
