Meet the opposition | Watford
As Swansea City prepare to face Watford at Vicarage Road, we take a closer look at the Hornets.
What's their story?
Established in 1881 as Watford Rovers, the club changed name to its current moniker in 1898.
Affectionately known as the Hornets or the Golden Boys, Watford gained Football League status in 1920 and, after spending 60 years in the lower divisions, gained promotion to the top-flight for the first time in 1982.
Under the ownership of Elton John and management of Graham Taylor the club finished as runners-up to Liverpool in that maiden First Division campaign.
In a golden era for the club, they spent six seasons in the top-flight, and reached the FA Cup final in 1984.
Recently, Watford have competed in the Premier League in six out of the last eight seasons, but it has been a period of regular managerial upheaval with the Hornets going through 19 managers in the last 11 years.
The latest change happened during the summer, with Valerien Ismael the man tasked with leading them back to the Premier League following relegation in 2022.
How's their form?
Watford have lost six of their last seven games in all competitions, and have a solitary win from their last nine fixtures.
The Hornets have found wins hard to come by at home, and have not claimed all three points from a Championship game at Vicarage Road since between Norwich there at the end of November.
Who's the gaffer?
Valerien Ismael. The Frenchman was appointed as Watford boss last summer, and has since signed a three-year extension to his contract with the Hertfordshire club.
He previously had the reins at Besiktas and West Bromwich Albion, but his biggest success as a coach in the English game came with Barnsley.
After succeeding Gerhard Struber, he led the Tykes to the 2021 play-offs where they were beaten by the Swans in the semi-finals.
During his playing career, Ismaël enjoyed spells with Strasbourg, Crystal Palace, Lens, Werder Bremen, Hannover 96 and Bayern Munich.
The former centre-half has vast managerial experience, most notably leading Austrian side LASK to their first-ever Champions League play-off. Ismaël has also had stints in charge of Hannover 96, VfL Wolfsburg II, F.C. Nürnberg, VfL Wolfsburg and Apollon Smyrnis.
Who's the captain?
Daniel Bachmann. The experienced Austrian goalkeeper has been with Watford since 2017, and was named club captain last summer summer after Tom Cleverley retired and joined the coaching staff.
Bachmann has spent more than 10 years in English football having joined Stoke City in 2012.
He did not make a senior appearance in his six years with the Potters, but did gain valuable experience during loan spells with Wrexham, Ross County and Bury.
A move to Watford came following his release from Stoke, and he had to bide his time for action outside of a productive loan spell with Kilmarnock.
However, former Swan Ben Hamer has been preferred in goal of late, and it has been defender Wesley Hoedt who has been wearing the armband.
Who are the key men?
Experienced centre-half Wesley Hoedt is in his first full season with Watford, having joined them in the January transfer window from Anderlecht, and has skippered the side with Bachmann losing his starting role.
The widely-travelled Netherlands international started his career with AZ Alkmaar before moving onto Italian club Lazio, who he helped reach the Coppa Italia final in 2017.
A Premier League move to Southampton followed, but his time at St Mary's saw him spend time out on loan with the likes of Celta Vigo, Antwerp and Lazio.
A full-time move to Anderlecht followed prior to his arrival in Hertfordshire last year.
Striker Yaser Asprilla is Watford's main attacking threat, with six goals and six assists to his name this season, the highest tally of any Hornets player for both stats.
The 20-year-old Colombia international signed for Watford in 2022, having come through the youth academy of Envigado in his homeland.
Asprilla was initially loaned back to Envigado, but is now an exciting part of the Hornets forward line, as evidenced by him scoring stunning goals in back-to-back games against Norwich City and Rotherham United.
Winger Ken Sema scored the winner when the Hornets and the Swans met earlier this season, and the 30-year-old also has four assists so far this term.
The Sweden international - born in Norrkoping to Congolese parents - had spells with IFK Norrkoping, IF Sylvia and Ljungskile before joining Ostersunds.
Working under former Swansea boss Graham Potter, he caught the eye of a number of clubs and would join Watford in the summer of 2018.
Sema has since made 156 appearances for the Hertfordshire club, scoring 12 goals.