Preview: Swans v Bristol City

25th August
First team

Swansea City look to do something they have not managed in 40 years when they take on Bristol City today (3pm).

Should Graham Potter’s men avoid defeat this afternoon, they will have begun a new league season by going five games unbeaten.

That is something that last happened to the Swans way back in 1978-79, when John Toshack’s team made a fabulous start to their Division Three campaign.

Toshack’s men had just won promotion from the bottom tier, and they built on that by going seven league fixtures without losing at the start of the following season, which would also end in them going up.

The circumstances are different this time around, of course, with the Swans readjusting to life in the Championship having seen their seven-year stint in the Premier League come to an end.

New boss Potter has overseen an overhaul of the playing squad, with a host of senior players moving on while a handful of youngsters have arrived in SA1.

The new recruits have all played their part in what has been an encouraging start to the Potter era.

After wins over Sheffield United and Preston, the Swans scrapped their way to a point at Birmingham before drawing 2-2 with Leeds in midweek.

The Swans ought to have beaten the Whites, and their impressive performance means confidence is high going into the Bristol City clash.

But the Robins will also walk out un upbeat mood this afternoon after romping to a 3-0 win at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.

That was a first victory of the new season for Lee Johnson’s team.

 

TEAM NEWS

The Swans are again likely to be without Kristoffer Nordfeldt, although the goalkeeper is close to returning to action after a groin injury.

Wilfried Bony is also on the comeback trail but is not yet ready for action.

Bristol City are set to be without skipper Bailey Wright and vice-captain Korey Smith as well as keeper Frank Fielding.

Nathan Baker (above) is also a doubt, but fellow centre-back Tomas Kalas is available after joining on loan from Chelsea.

Striker Famara Diedhiou is suspended.

 

PRE-MATCH VIEWS

Graham Potter: “Bristol City are a good team with good ideas and you can see why they did well last season, particularly against Premier League teams in their run to the semi-finals of the League Cup.”

Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson: “Swansea have had to go through some change and that's not easy, to come down and change the environment from a losing on to a winning one. It seems to have gone well so far but we've got to go there and make sure we really impose ourselves.”

 

REMEMBER THE LAST TIME?

The Swans’ most recent meeting with Bristol City was in February 2011 at Ashton Gate.

It was a good day for Brendan Rodgers’s Premier League-bound team, who won 2-0 thanks to a pair of goals from Darren Pratley.

It was a different story at the Liberty earlier in the season, however, as Jon Stead’s early goal gave the Robins a 1-0 victory.

 

PRIME NUMBERS

12 – Oli McBurnie has scored 12 goals in 21 Championship appearances in 2018.

4 – Andreas Weimann has netted four times in his first four league games for Bristol City, having scored only five goals in 40 games for Derby last season.