Talking Tactics | Swansea City v Middlesbrough

Swansea City are back on home turf after back-to-back away matches in the Sky Bet Championship, with Middlesbrough the latest side to make the trip to the Swansea.com Stadium.

Ahead of Saturday’s contest, WhoScored.com preview the clash, looking at what to expect from the visitors, a key battle and key stat.

What to expect from Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough head into this one off the back of three consecutive defeats, having only lost one of their five matches prior to that in the Sky Bet Championship.

Michael Carrick’s side took an early lead, but eventually lost out at home to Hull City on Wednesday evening.

Saturday’s visitors haven’t won on the road in the Championship since late October, when they claimed all three points at Norwich City.

Boro have set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in every one of their 21 league matches so far this term, with goalkeeper Seny Dieng the only player to have been ever present.

WhoScored.com’s statistically developed strengths for Middlesbrough include creating chances using through balls and individual skill, while only Leicester and Leeds (both 47) have created more big chances than Boro (44) so far this term; the visitors’ creativity from open play is certainly one of their key strengths.

Middlesbrough arrive at the Swansea.com Stadium having scored more goals (32) than Swansea (29) so far this season, but having conceded four more (33).

Key Battle

Despite Middlesbrough’s recent run of games without a win, Ivorian striker Emmanuel Latte Lath remains a threat for Carrick’s side, having scored three goals in his last three matches.

The 24-year-old has started just nine of Boro’s league matches so far this season, but heads into this one as their fourth highest-rated player, with a WhoScored.com rating of 6.74.

Saturday’s match could well come down to a key battle between Latte Lath and Swansea defender Harry Darling, the hosts’ second highest-rated player this term (6.89), behind only Matt Grimes (6.92).

Darling, who equalised for Swansea at Stoke on Tuesday evening, leads his teammates for aerial duels won (79), with only four players across the division boasting a better tally.

The English centre-back also tops the charts among Swansea players for shots blocked, with at least four more than any other player (17).

Key Stat

Only Norwich (42%) and Leeds (41%) prioritise more of their attacking play down the left-hand side than Swansea City (40%) in the Championship this season, while only Rotherham, Preston, Queens Park Rangers and Huddersfield prioritise more of theirs along the right than Middlesbrough (41%).

Isaiah Jones, Middlesbrough’s highest-rated player this season will more than likely be responsible for that particular pattern of play, with plenty of their offensive actions funnelled towards the 24-year-old winger.

Swansea left-back Jack Tymon could, then, be in for a busy afternoon at both ends, with the majority of the action likely to take place on his side of the pitch.