Swansea City welcome Sunderland to the Liberty Stadium in a huge clash in the Championship play-off race.
Victory could see Swansea go fifth if Burnley lose elsewhere, whereas Sunderland can leapfrog the Swans into fifth if Burnley and Blackburn both fail to win elsewhere.
Team News
Joe Allen could return for Swansea if he is declared match-fit following his recovery from a hamstring injury, although manager – Russell Martin won’t risk the midfielder until safe to do so.
Jamie Paterson (groin) and Liam Cullen (shoulder) both remain absent.
Sunderland could welcome Dennis Cirkin back from a hamstring injury after he wasn’t risked in their midweek goalless draw at home to Blackpool.
Jewison Bennette (fitness) could also feature but Ross Stewart (thigh) and Ellis Simms (foot) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Swansea have lost just one of their last ten league meetings against Sunderland (W4, D5, L1).
- Sunderland are unbeaten in their last five league visits to Swansea (W3, D2), albeit back when the Swans were known as ‘Swansea Town’ rather than Swansea City as now named.
- Seven of eight meetings between Swansea and Sunderland in Wales in all competitions have seen both teams score – except for a 5-0 home win for Swansea in September 1958 in Old Second Division.
- Swansea are looking to win four consecutive league matches for the first time since August 2019, in a campaign where they missed out on promotion via play-offs.
- A draw here would see Sunderland record four consecutive draws in a league campaign for the first time since March – April 2016, when they were in the Premier League in 2015-16 season.
Prediction
Having hit a green patch of form in recent games, Swansea certainly can come here full of confidence yet they did look defensively sluggish during first-half at Watford in midweek, although they mustered a brilliantly clinical comeback to win so definitely can’t be underestimated.
Sunderland meanwhile have done well to dig their way to two consecutive goalless draws without Stewart and Simms leading their attack, although they will need to be more clinical than they were in a wasteful midweek draw against Blackpool.
Swansea though will be a difficult test for Tony Mowbray’s Black Cats but Mowbray has the experience to set up his squad to negate Swansea’s attacking quality, although silencing Olivier Ntcham will be crucial given his current form but a draw surely would be a huge result for the visitors.
Prediction: Swansea 1-1 Sunderland
Result: Swansea 2-1 Sunderland
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