Swansea City will face an uphill task when they welcome Championship leaders Leicester City to the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday
Both Swansea City and Leicester City will be chasing history of sorts when they take on each other in the highly charged EFL Championship clash on Saturday night.
Michael Duff’s side have rekindled their ambitions for the season with a run of four wins from their last four games. Another win will see them secure five victories on the trot for the first time since 2007 when they were in League One under the management of Roberto Martinez.
Leicester City, meanwhile are comfortable at the head of the Championship table and have a two-point lead over second-placed Ipswich Town. Both teams are running away with the automatic promotion spots, leaving the others including Swansea City to fight it out for a playoff spot.
The Foxes became just the second side after Sheffield United in 2005 to win ten of their opening 11 games in the Championship. The Foxes are the team to beat this season and will take some stopping. Not only do they have the strength in reserve but also enough quality in their playing XI to stand out amongst the second-tier teams.
Swansea are currently in 12th spot but are building up momentum after a series of wins on the bounce. Another on Saturday night will take them into the mix for a top-fix finish and also improve morale heading into a busy schedule.
Leicester are the favourites and will be high on confidence. Enzo Maresca’s side have not been spectacular but have shown ruthless aggression that has seen them over the line several times this season. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Swansea City
🗣️ “We want to get on the front foot, and the supporters can be a big part of helping us with that. If we have that I think we have a chance of making it a good day.”
Gaffer 🦢
👉 https://t.co/cpPNTDJElN pic.twitter.com/ezPW5zJA5d
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) October 20, 2023
Given Swansea’s winning run, Michael Duff has few reasons to tinker with a winning formula. The Swans staged a comeback in the second half against Plymouth Argyle, once again displaying their ability to raise the stakes when the chips are down.
Ben Cabango is ruled out with a hamstring injury, while the trio of Nathan Wood, Joe Allen, and Josh Ginnelly are also unavailable. Swansea City have an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.
A 4-2-3-1 formation will be the way to go on the night with Carl Rushworth in goal. The 22-year-old will be protected by the back four of Joshua Key, Harry Darling, Bashir Humphreys, and Josh Tymon.
Matt Grimes and Charlie Patino should hold the fort in midfield, acting as a double pivot in front of the rearguard. The duo will help the home side retain control of the midfield and provide a foothold for the attacking stars to cause havoc upfield.
Liam Cullen and Jamal Lowe will be expected to provide the width on the wings, with Jamie Paterson donning the number ten’s role. Jerry Yates scored last time around and should retain his spot up front.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Rushworth; Key, Darling, Humphreys, Tymon; Grimes, Patino; Cullen, Patterson, Lowe; Yates
Leicester City
The Foxes are back in the Championship for the first time since 2014 after a memorable eight-year stint in the top flight came to an end last season. They are now well-placed for an immediate return and have won ten of their opening 11 games in the second tier this season.
Enzo Maresca’s men are the in-form side and will take some stopping. Despite Swansea City’s winning run and momentum, it is the visitors who will go into the game as favourites.
Apart from Dennis Praet, Thomas Cannon, Callum Doyle and Kasey McAteer, Leicester City have no major injuries to worry about and have enough strength to rotate. While Maresca should make some changes, the familiar faces in the roster should retain their spot in the playing XI.
On the potential for a record-breaking Championship start on Saturday 📊
“Yes, but I think, even if we lose, it’s a fantastic start. We focus on tomorrow’s game and what we have to do and then the result is a consequence, if we do the right things.” pic.twitter.com/h0sx8JRxnT
— Leicester City (@LCFC) October 20, 2023
Maresca has used a 4-3-3 formation to great effect and should continue with it on the trip to the Swansea.com Stadium. Mads Hermansen should start in goal behind the back four of Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard and Hamza Choudhury.
Harry Winks has been a revelation in midfield and will retain his spot at the base of the three-man setup in the middle of the park. The former Tottenham Hotspur star’s role will help free up Wilfred Ndidi and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to push forward. Yunus Akgun and Stephy Mavididi should start out wide, with Jamie Vardy retaining his spot at the apex of the frontline.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestegaard, Choudhury; Winks, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall; Akgun, Vardy, Mavididi
Key Stats
- This is the first league meeting between Swansea City and Leicester City since the 2017/18 season.
- Leicester City have won five of their last seven games against Swansea City. However, all of them have come in the Premier League.
- A win on Saturday will see Swansea City win five league games on the trot for the first time since 2007.
- Leicester City are only the second Championship side after Sheffield United in 2005-06 to win 10 of their opening 11 games in the league.
- A win on the night will see Leicester City become the first second-tier side to win their opening six away games in the competition.
Player to Watch
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
As the summer winds of change swept through Leicester City, bidding farewell to the talents of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, Dewsbury-Hall rose to prominence with his sensational performances.
He owes a part of his brilliance to the sturdy foundation provided by the ever-reliable Harry Winks. This symbiotic partnership is bound to yield more moments of magic, as Dewsbury-Hall continues to be the catalyst for Leicester City’s success.
The stage is set, and the spotlight shines on this young midfield maestro as he continues to make an impact at both ends of the field. As long as Swansea can shackle the 24-year-old, they have a reasonable chance of isolating the Foxes attack.
Prediction
Swansea City 0-2 Leicester City
Swansea will be abuzz with their recent run of victories but Leicester could prove to be a bridge too far. Enzo Maresca’s men have excellent experience and are a solid side capable of adapting to different situations.
While the game might not be too comfortable for the visitors, they should have enough quality to come away with all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Maresca and his charges this weekend.
