Joel Latibeaudiere | Swansea City must be ready for Sunderland atmosphere

14th January
First team
Joel Latibeaudiere warms up ahead of a match

Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere says Swansea City must be ready for the challenge this afternoon's game at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light will pose. 

The Black Cats have an average home attendance of 38,200 with Sheffield United – who are second in that list – averaging 10,000 fewer fans per game at Bramall Lane.

It will make for a terrific, if hostile, atmosphere for the visitors as they look to complete a league double over Tony Mowbray's side having secured a 2-1 win in an entertaining reverse fixture.

Latibeaudiere, 23, acknowledges playing in front of a crowd of nearly 40,000 may be a new experience for a number of the Swansea squad, but it is a challenge he is confident they will embrace.

“It’s going to be a massive game at Sunderland,” he said.

“We were just discussing that they’ll have nearly 40,000 fans there screaming so we’ve got to rise to that challenge and show the mentality that you need to have.

“We’ll keep doing what we believe in and hopefully we can go there and put things right after being disappointed with the way the second half went at Bristol City.

"But these are the challenges you have to want as a player, We have to embrace it and produce."