Taylor: Swans must silence Sinclair
20th March
In-form Scott Sinclair faces his former team-mates on Saturday with Neil Taylor insisting the Swans must keep him quiet if they want to emerge victorious at Villa Park.
The Swans take on Aston Villa hoping to claim a first win in three league outings, while Tim Sherwood's side are targeting a third-straight top-flight victory.
Sinclair has been a key figure in Sherwood's plans during Villa's upturn in form, with the winger scoring three goals in eight appearances following his loan move from Manchester City.
The 25-year-old has started to show the type of form which saw him prove a huge hit with the Swans during his time at the Liberty.
Sinclair scored 27 goals during his first season in SA1, which included a hat-trick in the Championship Play-Off final win over Reading at Wembley.
He then struck another eight times the following year as the Swans completed a successful first campaign in the Premier League.
Sinclair's form attracted the attention of Manchester City, who lured him to the Etihad Stadium.
But having spent time on loan at West Brom and now Aston Villa, the former England Under-21 international is finding his form with the Midlands club.
And Taylor believes thwarting Sinclair's attacking threat is key to the Swans' hopes at Villa Park.
"We know, more than anyone, what he is capable of," said Taylor. "It's no surprise to see him scoring goals for them, and he's certainly someone we will have to keep an eye on.
"Everyone knows Scotty is a good player. He found opportunities hard to come by at Manchester City, but he's really started well to life at Villa.
"For any footballer it is about playing regularly. He has got that at Villa, and he has a manager that has confidence in him.
"The whole team has really picked up in the last few games since Scott has gone there. You get that when you bring in a new manager, and they will be hoping that boost will be enough to keep them up.
"Hopefully, apart from Saturday afternoon, Scotty has a good end to the season at Villa because he's a great lad and a really exciting footballer."