Match Preview: Swansea City

4AB5CD43-4EF7-433D-AB4B-9BD73CE1F833 — Image: Fulham FC

Improvement is needed. The international break has put a halt to all our momentum and we are struggling to put the ball in the net. Tonight we face Swansea City and three points is crucial for our title challenge.

Swansea are a team in transition. After Steve Cooper left in the summer, former Norwich centre-back Russell Martin was given the reins and has had a tricky start. It is fair to say that Cooper, despite the turgid football, overachieved with the Swans so it was never going to be easy for Martin. What has made it even harder is the amount of key players that left in the summer and that his style of play is the polar opposite of Cooper’s. I expect Swansea to line up in their usual 3-4-3 formation with a possession oriented tactical style. Despite not getting the results, he has made several signings that have potential to be very good for them. Flynn Downes and Oliver Ntcham are excellent additions in the midfield, Downes as a dictator and Ntcham as an attacking midfielder. Another standout signing is Joël Piroe who was brought in this summer from PSV. So far Piroe is the Swans’ top scorer with 5 goals and averages the most goals per 90 in the league with 0.84. He will be our opponent’s biggest threat tonight with his clinical finishing and strength.

It is worrying how much we have dropped off in recent games, however I don’t think Marco Silva is much to blame. Despite getting just 4 points from 4 games we have dominated them all and have been let down by poor finishing. Fabio Carvalho has been missed greatly and in his absence, we haven’t been the same. Hopefully tonight we find the form we showed earlier in the season and a formula that can work whilst the talented teenager remains on the sidelines.

I would make two changes from the team that drew to Bristol City including a change of formation. Reed in for Chalobah in the midfield pivot with Seri. The other change would be Muniz for Onomah and playing him alongside Mitrovic. This would mean a formation change to 442. Despite this meaning we likely surrender a lot of the ball, it will hopefully make our team more clinical. Harry Wilson to get himself on the scoresheet.

SCORE PREDICTON: Fulham 1-0 Swansea City

PREFERRED LINE-UP: 4-4-2

H2H LEAGUE RECORD (OVERALL)

PLAYED – 64
FULHAM WINS – 31
DRAWS – 9
SWANSEA CITY WINS – 24
GOALS SCORED – 127
GOALS CONCEDED – 103

H2H LEAGUE RECORD (HOME)

PLAYED – 32
FULHAM WINS – 23
DRAWS – 2
SWANSEA CITY WINS – 7
GOALS SCORED – 84
GOALS CONCEDED – 35

LAST 5 GAMES

FULHAM 1-0 SWANSEA CITY
SWANSEA CITY 1-2 FULHAM
SWANSEA CITY 2-0 FULHAM
FULHAM 1-2 SWANSEA CITY
SWANSEA CITY 0-3 FULHAM

BIGGEST WINS AT CRAVEN COTTAGE

FULHAM 8-1 SWANSEA CITY (1937/38)
FULHAM 7-0 SWANSEA CITY (1995/96 – FA CUP)
FULHAM 5-0 SWANSEA CITY (1936/37, 1983/84)

PLAYERS IN COMMON

Chris Coleman, Nick Cusack, Cliff Jones, Shefki Kuqi, Alfie Mawson, Andy Melville, Terry Phelan, Darren Pratley, Jazz Richards, Wayne Routledge, John Salako.

DID YOU KNOW?

Swansea are the only side to feature in the top 10 victories, defeats and highest scoring games in Fulham’s history.