Preview: Swans v West Brom
Swansea City face another of the Championship’s promotion contenders when West Bromwich Albion come to the Liberty Stadium tonight (7.45pm).
The Swans took on top-of-the-table Norwich City in Landore last weekend and, thanks in part to some defensive errors, finished up well beaten.
The 4-1 reverse was comfortably the heaviest the Swans have suffered since Graham Potter took charge in the summer.
They must now look to produce a response against an Albion side who boast what is arguably the most impressive attacking arsenal in the division.
The statistics suggest as much, with Albion’s Championship goals scored tally – 39 in 18 games – comfortably the best in the division.
With the likes of Dwight Gayle, Jay Rodriguez and Harvey Barnes all in impressive goalscoring form for Darren Moore's team, the Swans are well aware that they will need to defend much better than they did against Norwich.
They have done just that for the majority of this season, hence Potter will be hopeful that his team can rediscover the miserly touch this evening.
Should they manage that, the Swans will give themselves a chance of claiming what would be a notable victory.
TEAM NEWS
The Swans are again likely to be without Tom Carroll because of a hip problem, while Luciano Narsingh is definitely out.
But Jefferson Montero should return to the fold after sitting out the weekend loss to Norwich.
West Brom’s former Swan Kyle Bartley is set to miss out on a return to the Liberty because of a knee problem, while winger Bakary Sako is another doubt.
PRE-MATCH VIEWS
Graham Potter: “It’s going to be a really difficult game for us. They are a club who have ambitions to go straight back up and Darren has done a great job since being appointed.”
Daniel James: “We have to cut out the mistakes in the games we have coming up if we’re going to get the results we want.”
West Brom winger Harvey Barnes: “We'll look to go Swansea, recreate what we did at Ipswich and take another three points.”
Baggies defender Tosin Adarabioyo: “We know it will be a tough game – like us they dropped out of the Premier League last season and have applied themselves well. We'll have to be at our best again.”
REMEMBER THE LAST TIME?
The Swans last faced West Brom in April, when Tammy Abraham’s goal cancelled out a Jay Rodriguez strike to earn a point for Carlos Carvalhal’s team at The Hawthorns.
Darren Moore was in caretaker charge of Albion for the first time that day.
In the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, Wilfried Bony’s emphatic close-range finish saw the Swans claim what would prove to be their last win under Paul Clement against Alan Pardew’s Baggies side.
PRIME NUMBERS
1 – The Swans have lost back-to-back league games only once under Potter.
1 – West Brom have kept only one clean sheet in the Championship this season.
