Meet the opposition | Bristol City
As Swansea City get set to host Bristol City at the Swansea.com Stadium on Sunday, we take a closer look at the Robins.
What's their story?
Bristol City are in their seventh consecutive season in the Championship, following a challenging campaign last term in which they finished 19th in the league standings.
The Robins were relegated to League One after the 2012-13 season, but earned promotion back to the Championship in first place just two years later and have been a mainstay ever since.
The club boasts three Football League Trophies, as well as being one of the few English clubs to win the Welsh Cup, doing so in 1934-35.
How's their form?
Inconsistent. The Robins have picked up important wins over Cardiff, Millwall, Derby and Reading within their last 11 league games, but have also lost on five occasions during that sequence.
Their away form has also been disappointing after a bright start on their travels. Bristol City won four away games up to the opening weekend in October, but have not tasted victory away from Ashton Gate since.
Who's the boss?
Nigel Pearson. Pearson began coaching just a few months removed from his playing career in 1998, taking over at Carlisle United.
After taking assistant roles at clubs like Stoke City, West Brom and Newcastle United, Pearson became head coach at Southampton in 2008.
After a brief stint with the Saints, he went on to land roles at Leicester City - who he led to promotion and Premier League survival prior to their title success under Claudio Ranieri - Hull City, Derby County, OH Leuven and Watford before replacing Dean Holden as Bristol City manager in February of 2021.
As a player, the centre-back suited up for Shrewsbury Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough, making 448 league appearances over 17 years.
Who's the captain?
Daniel Bentley. Goalkeeper Bentley signed for Bristol City in 2019 after three years with Brentford. The goalkeeper was scouted by Arsenal at age eight, and was brought in to sign with the London giants’ academy programme.
Before his stint with Brentford, Bentley spent seven seasons with Southend United. He helped them earn promotion to League One in 2015, in a season which saw him earn their Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and Community Player of the Year awards.
Since his arrival, Bentley has made 113 appearances for the Robins. Bentley was made club captain earlier in the season, but has not featured in the starting line-up for a number of weeks.
Who are the key men?
Experienced forward Andreas Weimann tops the goalscoring charts for the Robins this season with 14 goals to his name, with the former Aston Villa and Derby County man also contributing six assists.
Han-Noah Massengo has been an influential figure in midfield, bringing a bundle of energy in defensive and attacking duties after briefly falling down the pecking order last term. However, he is a doubt for this weekend's game after picking up an injury early on against Reading in midweek.
Forward Antoine Semenyo, meanwhile, has been another stand-out performer in a challenging season. He has five goals and six assists to his name and was the subject of transfer speculation during the recent January window. Semenyo was also named Championship player of the month for January earlier this week.
