Steve Cooper | The FA Cup is no distraction, we want to win

Steve Cooper insists the FA Cup is no distraction for Swansea City, and wants to see his side carry on their recent momentum against Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

The Swans are unbeaten in 2021, and their form has seen them climb to second in the Championship table and reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

With Swansea currently occupying one of the two automatic promotion spots – albeit with an awful lot of football still to be played – much has been made over whether today’s knockout tie comes at a bad time with an important league game against Brentford looming on Wednesday.

But head coach Cooper has made clear that he considers every game in which his players wear the Swansea City badge to be of importance, and he is certainly not viewing the chance to advance in the famous old competition as something he would rather have out of the way.

“This is not a distraction, this is a game we are looking forward to, and a game we are looking to win,” he said.

“We are preparing 100 per cent for it, I just think at the moment the games are coming thick and fast, but you have to accept that because it’s going to be that way until the end of the season.

“Whether it is cup or league, we will do everything we can to try and win.

“We may have an opportunity to make some changes if we want, but it won’t be like Stevenage where we made a lot of changes, they will be changes we think can help us win the game.

“We are one game at a time, I don’t like looking past the next game, you need 100 per cent focus on each day and each game.

“So, right now, that is Forest and the FA Cup, we will pick up for the next league game when it comes.”