Talking Tactics | Derby County v Swansea City

Football stats experts WhoScored.com take a look at the form of Swansea City's South Wales derby hero Jamal Lowe, and the impact he can make in the upcoming meeting with Derby County.

An exceptional 2-0 win at rivals Cardiff on Saturday was the perfect result for Swansea City and a similar display in midweek could allow Steve Cooper's side to keep on the coattails of those chasing an automatic promotion spot.

The Swans make the trip to Pride Park on Wednesday to face a Derby side that look much-improved since Wayne Rooney took sole interim charge of the Rams.

The 35-year-old has overseen a five-game unbeaten run since solely taking over the Derby reins, which has moved the east Midlands side to within an improved goal difference of a place outside the relegation zone.

Derby may be enduring a rotten season, but they are not to be underestimated this week.

Indeed, while they have won just twice this season, one of those victories having come under the watchful eye of Rooney against Millwall.

However, their form at Pride Park has been dire to say the least. Derby have picked up just four points from nine home matches this season, fewer than any other side, and are the only Championship team yet to win a home league game in 2020-21.

That doesn't bode well for the welcome of a Swansea outfit that has picked up 15 points from nine away games this season, one of the best returns in England's second tier. 

Having won two of their last three away league outings, Cooper's side certainly have the means to end Rooney's unbeaten run.

Only Stoke (15) have conceded more home goals than Derby (13) coming into the midweek round of games and ,on the back of his match-winning performance at the Cardiff City Stadium, Jamal Lowe will be looking to follow up a man-of-the-match display with another eye-catching showing at Derby.

Lowe netted his third and fourth league goals of the season at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday to return a WhoScored.com rating of 8.49 and with all four Championship goals coming on the road, one of the better such returns in the division, he'll look to inflict further misery upon this Derby side.

The WhoScored.com match forecast suggests it is Extremely Likely that Swansea 'will score from a wingplay situation' so if Connor Roberts and Jake Bidwell are able to create the chances for Lowe, then he has the confidence from Saturday's derby victory to add to his two goals from the weekend.

It won't be a walk in the park for Swansea and Lowe this week, however, even accounting for Derby's perilous position in the table.

Matthew Clarke has been a rock at the back for the Rams, particularly since Rooney took charge, and his performance in the 0-0 draw with Stoke on Saturday saw him secure a place in the WhoScored.com Championship team of the week with a rating of 8.04.

Two of Clarke's three WhoScored.com man-of-the-match performances have come in the five games Rooney has overseen, while his average rating of 7.12 is second only to Krystian Bielik (7.15) of all Derby players in the Championship this season.

Clearly the 24-year-old has responded well to the change of management and he'll be the defender Lowe needs to get the better of if he is to follow up his superb showing in the South Wales Derby with another goalscoring display.