CRYSTAL PALACE v SWANS: The big talking points
Swansea City look to build on their midweek Carabao Cup victory at MK Dons when they return to Premier League action at Crystal Palace this weekend.
We look at all the key talking points ahead of the trip to South London.
SELHURST RETURN
Saturday’s trip to Palace means a return to the scene of a memorable day in Paul Clement’s career.
It was at Selhurst Park back in January that Clement took a seat in the directors’ box just hours after being appointed Swans boss.
Alan Curtis picked the team that night, but by half-time Clement had joined the Swans’ caretaker manager on the touchline.
They celebrated together come full time after Angel Rangel’s dramatic late winner gave the visitors a vital victory.
FIRST SIGHT OF SAM?
The Swans began reinvesting the cash received for Gylfi Sigurdsson this week by signing Hull City midfielder Sam Clucas.
The question now is whether Clement will pitch his new recruit straight into the starting side at Palace.
Though he missed Hull’s game at Queens Park Rangers last weekend amid transfer speculation, Clucas insists his fitness is good having played three Championship matches already this season.
And certainly, he will offer Clement a welcome option as he picks his team for Palace.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
The two Premier League meetings between the Swans and Palace last season produced a whopping 12 goals between them, which was more than any other pair of fixtures in the top flight in 2016-17.
Most of the goals came at the Liberty in November, of course, when Bob Bradley’s Swans won an extraordinary game 5-4, with the Swans emerging as 2-1 victors in the return match.
So what price another goalfest this weekend?
The early-season form of both clubs suggests it may be a low-scoring affair.
After all, both sides are yet to find the net in their two Premier League games so far this term.
PALACE POINTS
Past results between these clubs will count for little come 3pm on Saturday, but the Swans have certainly proved they can take points off Palace in recent seasons.
In eight Premier League encounters between the clubs, there have been three Swans wins and four draws.
Palace’s one victory came on the final day of the 2014-15 season, when Garry Monk rested a number of frontline stars.
The Swans’ good record against the Eagles stretches back into the Championship days.
In their last four meetings at second-tier level, the Swans took 10 points.
TEENAGE KICKS
Having scored his first Swans goal at MK Dons in midweek, Tammy Abraham goes in search of the first Premier League strike of his career when he returns to his native South London.
Abraham, who turns 20 on October 2, is aiming to become only the second teenager to find the target for the Swans in the Premier League.
The one player who has done it up until now is Ben Davies, who netted against Stoke back in January 2013.
INJURY BOOST?
Influential skipper Leon Britton returns to the squad this weekend having missed the Manchester United defeat and the MK Dons win as a result of a back problem.
But there is bad news over Fernando Llorente, who is not fit enough to travel after his broken arm.
Ki Sung-Yueng and Nathan Dyer also miss out.
