Preview | Swansea City v Preston North End
Swansea City will look to extend their impressive unbeaten home record when they host Preston North End at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon (3pm).
Steve Cooper’s side are unbeaten in 12 league games on home turf, while they have lost just once in 16 games in all competitions in SA1.
The only team to beat Swansea in their own backyard in 2019 are treble-winners Manchester City.
Avoiding defeat against Alex Neil’s Lilywhites would equal the sequence of 13 home league games (not including the play-off semi-final win over Nottingham Forest) without a loss from 2011.
However, should Preston prove to be the first Championship side to emerge victorious at the Liberty since Boxing Day 2018, they will put an end to their long, long wait for a league win in Swansea.
North End last secured an away league win over the Swans in 1961, they have since made 17 long journeys down from Lancashire without claiming the spoils.
Cooper’s selection will be an interesting one with the likes of Andre Ayew, Ben Wilmot and Jordon Garrick staking a case for Championship action in the Carabao Cup win over the Cobblers.
But, whoever wears those white shirts come 3pm, the head coach will be keen to build on what has been a solid and encouraging start to the new campaign.
Team news
Swansea City are at full strength for the visit of the Lilywhites with no names on the first-team injury list.
Aldo Kalulu has been passed fit after taking a knock at Derby, while Andre Ayew is in contention again following his brace against Northampton in midweek.
Tom Carroll is also fit, but he will feature for the under-23s in their fixture against Aston Villa on Monday.
Pre-match views
Steve Cooper: "It will be a tough game. They had a good result against a good Wigan team last week, 3-0 is a comprehensive result.
"They will probably have thought they should have got something out of the game against Millwall a week before too.
"They’ve got quite a young but experienced manager in Alex Neil. I do not know Alex but I have a great respect for him and the job he has done, started with his time in Scotland.
"Obviously he had a promotion at Norwich and now equally impressive is what he’s doing at Preston, we know they’ll be organised."
Alex Neil: "Swansea have a good brand of football.
“They have got a system in terms of who they recruit manager wise and player wise and each manager in the last four or five season have folded into each other nicely and continued the work that the previous manager has done.
“They are a good team; they have good players and they sold a couple of players in the summer for £20m each, so what they are doing is obviously working and it will be a tough match for us.”
Remember the last time?
Jay Fulton scored his first league goal for Swansea City as continued their perfect start to the season 12 months ago.
Not even Oli McBurnie's saved penalty and the replacement of keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt within 20 minutes could stop the Swans from making it two wins from two.
As it was, Fulton's header in the 33rd minute put smiles on the faces of the Jack Army on a damp afternoon at the Liberty.
The Scottish midfielder climbed highest to meet Joel Asoro's cross, with keeper Declan Rudd left stranded.
Prime numbers
12 – Swansea City are unbeaten in 12 home league games. Avoid defeat to Preston and it will be the Swans best run of league form since a 13-match unbeaten sequence in 2011.
17 – The Swans have an excellent home record against Preston, the visitors have not left SA1 with three points in 17 attempts. Their last win coming in August 1961.
