Swans v Everton: The big talking points
Swansea City go in search of victory over Everton this weekend as they look to move a step closer to Premier League survival.
Here are all the main talking points heading into the big game.
Good to be home
After three away games in their last four – with the odd one out being an FA Cup tie against Spurs – the Swans are glad to be getting back to Premier League action at the Liberty Stadium this weekend.
After all, they have done rather well on their own patch of late.
Before the Spurs tie, Carlos Carvalhal’s Swans had won seven successive home games – their best run since leaving Vetch Field 13 years ago.
That sequence included four league triumphs, against Arsenal, Liverpool, Burnley and West Ham.
The Swans have never previously won five straight home Premier League fixtures, so Saturday brings a chance to make a little piece of history.
Jordan joy
The Swans have scored just one goal in their last four matches, when Tammy Abraham netted to salvage a point at West Brom last weekend.
Jordan Ayew has missed three of those games through suspension having been sent off after just 11 minutes of the other, at Huddersfield a month ago.
The Swans’ leading scorer returns from his ban this weekend, and will be a welcome addition to Carvalhal’s team given the influence he has had since the Portuguese took over.
Feeling Blue
For a long time, the Swans did not enjoy facing Everton.
After all, they did not win a single one of the first 20 meetings with the men from Merseyside.
The Swans finally broke their duck in 2014, when Garry Monk’s team got the better of Roberto Martinez’s Everton in the League Cup.
Since then, their record against the Blues has been pretty good.
In the eight meetings of the clubs, in fact, there have been three Swans wins - the most recent of which was a crucial success late last season - four draws and just one Everton triumph, which came in December despite Leroy Fer's goal.
No go for Gylfi
This game should have seen Gylfi Sigurdsson return to SA1 for the first time since his second spell as a Swan came to an end last summer.
However, the Icelander will not be involved after picking up a knee injury which threatens to rule him out for much of what remains of the season.
Given Sigurdsson’s talents – and that brilliant goal he scored against the Swans earlier in the season – the home contingent may be glad that he will not feature this weekend.
Ashley Williams, meantime, is available to Sam Allardyce after a recent three-match ban – but the former Swans skipper did not even make the bench for last weekend’s Merseyside derby.
Sticky Toffees
Everton have not had a great deal a joy when playing away from their own patch this season.
Allardyce’s men did win their last away game, thanks to two Cenk Tosun goals at Stoke City, which means they are chasing back-to-back travelling triumphs as they head to Wales.
The last time they managed that in the Premier League was in the early weeks of the 2016-17 season.
The Stoke win was only Everton’s second away from Goodison Park in the top flight this term, following a 1-0 victory at Everton in December.
The Swans must ensure there is no Everton hat-trick this weekend.
