West Brom v Swans: The big talking points
Swansea City will look to strike a blow in the fight for Premier League survival when they go to West Bromwich Albion this weekend.
Here are all the key talking points heading into another pivotal fixture for Carlos Carvalhal’s team.
Double delight?
The Swans will look to make it a season’s double against West Brom when they go to The Hawthorns.
If they do not claim victory, then they will have gone a whole Premier League season without registering two wins over the same club.
Albion, after all, are the only opponents the Swans are still to play in 2017-18 who they have already beaten this term.
The reverse fixture was at the Liberty in early December, when Wilfried Bony struck that dramatic late goal to secure a narrow home win.
Tammy’s target
Tammy Abraham spoke recently about how keen he is to end his season-long stint as a Swan with a flourish.
And he looked hungry to prove as much when he was introduced at half-time at Manchester United last week.
The young striker delivered his most influential display in a while at Old Trafford, and was twice denied a goal by the brilliance of David De Gea.
Could Abraham’s performance at United be enough to land him a first league start since Carvalhal’s first game in charge this weekend?
With Jordan Ayew suspended for the third and final match, the on-loan Chelsea striker will hope so.
Big Dave’s big chance
Darren Moore, AKA Big Dave, is in caretaker control of West Brom after the departure of Alan Pardew earlier this week.
Former Albion defender Moore is a fans’ favourite and a popular figure behind the scenes at The Hawthorns.
The fourth man to take charge of the club this season – after Tony Pulis, Megson and Pardew – Moore has called for unity as West Brom look to haul themselves back into survival contention.
The Swans must wait to see whether they will now take on a reinvigorated Baggies side.
Playing again, Sam?
Sam Clucas has been a regular in the Swans side since Carvalhal took charge at the end of December, featuring in all but one of the Portuguese’s 18 games at the helm.
And the good news is that the versatile midfielder is set to be available this weekend after injuring knee ligaments at Manchester United last time out.
Carvalhal had feared Clucas may face a spell on the sidelines, but he has returned to training and could now start against the Baggies.
Travelling Jacks
The Swans go in search of only a third away league victory of the season this weekend after previous successes at Crystal Palace and Watford.
They have taken 11 points on the road this season, a better return than three top-flight clubs – West Brom, Stoke and Brighton – and the same as three more – Huddersfield, West Ham and Everton.
Can they make it 14 against the club with the poorest home record in the Premier League this season?
Albion joy
If the history books are anything to go by, the Swans are in with a chance of getting a positive result this weekend.
After all, West Brom have proved to be one of the Liberty club’s favourite opponents in the Premier League era.
The Swans’ first win at this level came against the Baggies back in September 2011, when Scott Sinclair, Leroy Lita and Nathan Dyer were all on target.
Since then, there have been seven more Swans victories – plus one draw – in 12 further meetings between the clubs.
