Preview | Bristol City v Swansea City
Swansea City head to Ashton Gate for what is sure to be a hotly-contested Championship clash with Bristol City in front of the Sky Sports cameras (7.45pm).
Russell Martin’s side will be looking for a positive result after the midweek defeat to Stoke City, while the hosts are fresh off the back of a first victory since March having seen off Reading.
While the Swans have found wins hard to come by at Ashton Gate down the years, they have drawn their last two visits to the ground, and they face a Robins side who last won there themselves on January 26.
It has been a hectic start to the season, and this will be a fifth game in just 13 days at the outset of Martin’s tenure as head coach.
The Swans boss has acknowledged a period of transition is inevitable given how close his appointment was to the start of the campaign, but he is keen to see an improvement, particularly in the final third as he seeks a first league win in charge.
Team news
Head coach Martin is hopeful of having a couple of absentees back for the relatively short trip.
Kyle Naughton and Ryan Bennett would appear to be the most likely to return from minor knocks, with Liam Walsh, Korey Smith, Tivonge Rushesha and Connor Roberts also working their way back to fitness.
Joel Piroe and Ethan Laird are pushing for starts after lively appearances off the bench in the defeat to the Potters.
Pre-match views
Russell Martin: “It’s another quick turnaround but that’s the good thing about football is that we’ve got a quick opportunity to set the record straight.
“We’ll go there and try and impose our own game and see where it takes us.
“We know it’ll be tough. They are a good side with an excellent manager who has plenty of experience at this level, and the level above.
“We went there pre-season with my previous club so I know what to expect.
“One thing is we need to be more threatening at the top end of the pitch. Hopefully we’ll see an improvement in all areas.”
Nigel Pearson: “We’re not the finished articleand I think, sometimes, it would be easy to go overboard with the fact that we won three points.
“But the bottom line is we still have areas of our game to tighten up at and that is collectively. Individuals will make mistakes on a matchday but it’s how we are able to respond.
“The important thing is that team-mates help to nullify mistakes. If you make one mistake, fine, but two is not particularly good.
“It's how players approach matchdays and that’s if we have a collective spirit and somebody makes a mistake, a team-mate will help minimalise the outcome of that.
“We just have to keep a balanced view on how we look at it. It was a good three points but we need to tighten in some areas too.”
Remember the last time?
Swansea City were denied just a second win at Ashton Gate in 27 years as a late penalty from Nahki Wells cancelled out Jamal Lowe’s opener in last season’s meeting.
In a fixture that has historically been low scoring, Lowe netted early in the second half with a sweeping left-footed strike.
It put the Swans on track for a third win in four away games this season, only for Wells to score with eight minutes to go after Connor Roberts had been adjudged to have fouled Antoine Semenyo.
The result extended the Swans’ unbeaten away run in league fixtures to 10 games, but they were left frustrated having coped with any threat from the hosts with relative comfort.
Prime numbers
1 – Ashton Gate has not proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Swans, who have won just once – a 2-0 win in 2011 – there in the last 28 years.
11 – Bristol City have not tasted victory in 11 home league games stretching back to January 26.
