Talking Tactics: Lukasz Fabianski
Ahead of today’s trip to West Ham, football stats experts WhoScored.com preview the Premier League encounter.
The Swans will be looking to maintain their fine away form following an impressive start to the season on the road, with Paul Clement’s side unbeaten in their three away league matches thus far.
Stretching back to last term, Swansea have won two and drawn three of the their last five league matches away from the Liberty Stadium and they’ll now look to continue that run at the London Stadium.
It’ll be Swansea’s third successive league trip to the capital and they’ve fared well in London, picking up points against Crystal Palace and Tottenham, respectively.
They are, along with Southampton, the only team yet to concede a Premier League goal away from home this season, and with three away games played, Lukasz Fabianski is the only goalkeeper to earn three away clean sheets this term.
Indeed, his excellent form away from home has earned him a WhoScored.com rating of 7.04 - the second best of all goalkeepers to make three or more Premier League starts this season.
Not only that but the Swansea number one has made more saves (26) than any other goalkeeper in England’s top tier this term as he routinely exhibits his excellent stopstopping quality.
When in top form, Fabianski is one of the best goalkeepers in England and it’s without question that West Ham will find it difficult to get the better of the Poland international this afternoon.
If he performs to the standards expected, then a fourth successive away clean sheet is a very real possibility to match a positive result, be it one point or all three.
Having landed the WhoScored.com man-of-the-match award on his last visit to London, West Ham have a tough test on their hands if they are to find a way past the 32-year-old.
Javier Hernandez is expected to be the man tasked with finding a way past Fabianski, with the summer arrival netting his first league goal at the London Stadium last time out in a 3-2 defeat at the hands of London rivals Spurs.
However, the Mexican has previously struggled to consistently hit the back of the net against Swansea having bagged just two goals in six Premier League appearances in meetings with the Swans.
Considering Fabianski’s goalkeeping quality, Chicharito may see that return worsen this afternoon, particularly with the Swansea star such a fine performer on the road this term.
He has the means to put in another man of the match display in the capital and in the process, extend Swansea’s unbeaten run on the road to push the Swans further up the Premier League table.
