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      MATCH PREVIEW

SWANSEA CITY v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Wednesday 28th November 2012, 7:45pm
Liberty Stadium

MATCH NOTES

Albion will be looking to win five successive top-flight games for the first time since April 1979.

The Baggies have lost on all three of their previous top-flight visits to Swansea.

Jonas Olsson will make his 150th start for the Baggies if selected to play whilst James Morrison and Zoltan Gera will make their 150th league appearances if they play a part in the game.

Albion are yet to concede a goal in the opening 30 minutes of a Premier League game this season - the only club not to do so.

If the Baggies return home from South Wales with three points, it will be the first time the club have won three successive away games in the Premier League. It would also be the first time since the 1981/82 season that the feat will have been achieved by an Albion side in top-flight football.

Albion have never lost three successive league games against the Swans.

The Baggies' last game on this date was in 2009 when they beat Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 away at Hillsborough.

Albion's last six games: W W W W L L

Swansea City's last six games: D W D D W L

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Both Youssouf Mulumbu (hamstring) and Jonas Olsson (calf) are doubts and will face late fitness tests ahead of the trip to the Liberty Stadium.

Goalkeeper Ben Foster is again ruled out due to his ongoing groin problem with Boaz Myhill continuing to deputise.

Squad from: Myhill, Daniels, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Tamas, Jara Reyes, Popov, Ridgewell, Yacob, Brunt, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Morrison, El Ghanassy, Gera, Fortune, Odemwingie, Lukaku, Long, Rosenberg.

Swansea City

Swans' forward Danny Graham will miss the game due to a virus whilst Jonathan de Guzman is doubtful with a hamstring strain picked up in the draw with Liverpool.

Squad from: Bartley, Flores, Williams, Britton, Lita, Michu, Hernandez, Dyer, Cornell, Routledge, Monk, Shechter, Moore, De Guzman, Tiendalli, Rangel, Ki, Tremmel, Agustien, Gower, Richards, Davies.

QUOTES

Baggies' boss Steve Clarke:

"This is where you get tested. This is a test of the squad, the character of the group. So far every time they've been tested, asked the question, they have passed the test, and there have been some pivotal moments. We have to keep facing those challenges and we have to keep our season on the right track.

"We are in a good place, are confident and want the games to come. We are not afraid of any games at any moment and we face the challenge head on. But we are not even into December yet. I'll get lifted by it all when we get to the last weeks of the season. If we are still in a good position then, then I'll enjoy the moment.

"At the moment I just have to keep working game to game. I know it is boring for you guys and you want me to get carried away and say 'we are going to do this, that or the other.' We are not."

Swans' manager Michael Laudrup:

"We know it is going to be difficult but we will go out and play like we always do. We are confident as well, we have only lost one game at home and we don't want to lose any more. We know we have to be strong at home and get most of our points here.

"In the last two home games we have played two big sides in Liverpool and Chelsea and now we play West Brom, the surprise of the season. We want the three points to extend this good moment in terms of points and performances and to get on.

"Every time you get three points you tot them up and it would be so important to reach 20 points as it is halfway to the magic number of 40, and then you can look how many games are left. If we could reach halfway already after 14 games I would be very happy."

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MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 2/1, Swansea City Win: 13/10, Draw: 12/5.

First Goalscorer

Michu 5/1, Shechter 7/1, Long 7/1, Lukaku 7/1, Moore 8/1, Odemwingie 8/1, Lita 8/1, Hernandez 10/1, Brunt 10/1, Fortune 10/1, Rosenberg 10/1, Dyer 12/1, de Guzman 12/1, Dorrans 12/1, El Ghanassy 12/1, Gera 12/1, Morrison 12/1, Routledge 14/1, Sung-Yeung 14/1, Gower 20/1, Mulumbu 20/1.

REFEREE

Lee Mason (Lancashire) - Refereed five Albion games last season - The 2-1 defeat away at Chelsea in August, the 2-2 draw at Sunderland in October, the 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool also in October, the 0-0 draw at home to Manchester City in December and finally the 5-1 thrashing of Wolves at Molineux in February.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets will remain on general sale at The Hawthorns’ East Stand box office until 1pm on the day of the game. Albion only have around 100 seats left for the match and no tickets will be on sale to away fans at the Liberty Stadium.

Prices are £35 adults, £17.50 under 16s/students/OAPs.

WEATHER FORECAST

Clear and feeling cold, 2°C

FIXTURE HISTORY

The first competitive meeting of the two sides came in October 1927 at The Hawthorns. Two goals from Joe Carter, along with efforts from Arthur Fitton, Jimmy Cookson and Charlie Wilson helped the Baggies to a 5-2 victory. The return game at Vetch Field in March saw the Swans gain revenge with a 3-2 victory, two goals from Cookson in vain.

The first five meetings between Albion and Swansea saw 33 goals scored, the Baggies scoring 19 of those.

Albion's best league victory over the Swans is a 6-2 win at The Hawthorns in October 1929, Tommy Glidden scoring four of the goals. The Baggies also strolled to an 8-0 win during October 1941 in a Football League South wartime game at The Hawthorns, William 'G' Richardson hitting five of the Albion goals.

Other big wins for Albion include a 5-1 victory at The Hawthorns in September 1928 and the aforementioned 5-2 victory in the first meeting of the sides in October 1927. 

Swansea's best victory over Albion came at the Vetch in February 1929 when goals from Gunn (2), Cheetham, Ranson, Hole and McPherson saw the hosts hand out a 6-1 thrashing of the Baggies.

Probably the most important games between the two clubs came during the 1992/93 season when they met in the League Division Two play-off semi-finals. In the first leg at Vetch Field Albion trailed 2-0 and looked to be heading out of the tie until a late Andy McFarlane own goal gave Ossie Ardiles' men a vital lifeline. The return game at The Hawthorns saw the Baggies clinch a place at Wembley with a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Andy Hunt and Ian Hamilton in front of a crowd of just over 26,000 who produced one of the best ever atmospheres the old ground has ever seen.

Albion lost both meetings last season in the Swans' inaugural season in the Premier League. The Baggies' record in South Wales is pretty poor overall, winning just twice in 15 visits, the last time coming in March 2010 when a Graham Dorrans' penalty and an Ishmael Miller strike helped Roberto Di Matteo's side to a 2-0 win.

LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT THE LIBERTY STADIUM

Swansea City 3-0 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 17 September 2011, 3:00pm

Swansea City: Vorm, Rangel, Williams, Monk, Taylor (Bessone 85), Dyer (Routledge 71), Britton, Allen, Gower, Sinclair, Lita (Moore 71). Subs not used: Tremmel, Dobbie, Richards, Lucas.

Goalscorers: Sinclair 14 (pen), Lita 24, Dyer 49.

Booked: Lita 24 (removing shirt)

Albion: Foster, Reid, Olsson, Mulumbu (Dorrans 46), Shorey, Morrison, Dawson, Scharner (Cox 67), Thomas (Brunt 46), Long, Odemwingie. Subs not used: Fulop, McAuley, Jones, Fortune.

Booked: Brunt 58 (foul), Odemwingie 79 (foul)

Attendance: 20,341

Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire)

Swansea ended their goal drought in style as they claimed a first Premier League win at the Liberty Stadium. Scott Sinclair ended the hosts' 374-minute wait for a top-flight goal as he coolly slotted home a 14th-minute penalty. Leroy Lita nodded home his first for the club 10 minutes later before Nathan Dyer secured the points shortly after the break, with Brendan Rodgers' side also keeping a third straight clean sheet at home. The only concern for the Swans was a nasty head injury suffered by full-back Neil Taylor in an aerial clash with Peter Odemwingie which saw the striker booked. The visitors had few clear chances, with Shane Long and Graham Dorrans having their best efforts saved by Michel Vorm.

Swansea were boosted by the return of captain Garry Monk, making his first appearance of the season after a foot injury. Monk's availability to partner Ashley Williams in the centre of defence was a timely boost for Rodgers, with Alan Tate and Steven Caulker injured. Mark Gower was handed a first start of the season, while Lita began in attack, with Danny Graham out due to a back problem. West Brom boss Roy Hodgson was without the suspended Gabriel Tamas so Craig Dawson came in at centre-half, with Dorrans making way for James Morrison on the right of the Baggies midfield. Chris Brunt was on the bench after a late fitness test on a knee problem.

There was a minute's silence prior to kick-off in memory of the four miners who lost their lives at Gleision Colliery, as well as Rodgers' father Malachy, who died a week ago. Unfortunately the tribute was poorly observed by a section of the away support, forcing referee Martin Atkinson to curtail the silence before the minute had elapsed.

Sinclair had an early chance for the hosts but snatched at his shot after a poor Youssouf Mulumbu clearance, before Ben Foster grabbed an Allen shot at the second attempt. Swansea's early dominance got a deserved reward in the 14th minute as Paul Scharner's clumsy tackle on Allen led to a penalty that Sinclair slotted to Foster's left for the south Wales club's first Premier League goal. And the second soon followed as Sinclair's header across goal was turned in by Lita at the far post. Lita was booked after taking his shirt off to celebrate his goal, and as Swansea sat back to admire their lead they surrendered the initiative to West Brom. Long forced an athletic save from Vorm before two brave blocks from Ashley Williams denied Mulumbu a sight of goal. Sinclair remained a menace to Albion full-back Steven Reid and another brilliant run from the winger teed up Allen, but the midfielder's shot was blocked by Dawson.

Hodgson made a double change at the break with Brunt and Dorrans replacing Mulumbu and Jerome Thomas, but it made little difference as Swansea further extended their lead within four minutes of the restart. Dyer raced onto a Lita flick-on and held off Nicky Shorey before firing between Foster's legs to send the Swans faithful into dreamland. Brunt thought he had pulled a goal back on the hour but his header from Jonas Olsson's ball into the box was ruled out for offside. Vorm then needed to be at full stretch to keep out a free-kick from Dorrans. Odemwingie then went in the book after clattering Taylor in an aerial challenge that left the full-back needing prolonged treatment before departing on a stretcher with a head wound. There were nine additional minutes added as a result but the hosts saw them out for an historic win.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Striker Luke Moore spent a very unsuccessful three years at Albion after signing from Aston Villa, initially on loan, in February 2008.

Swans' defender Ashley Williams was in the youth system at The Hawthorns during the late 1990s before being released at the age of 16.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Paul Agnew, Kwame Ampadu, Paul Anderson, Craig Beattie, Harry Boston, Walter Boyd, Fred Buck, Arthur Cook, Ted Crowe, Robbie Dennison, Roy Finch, Jack Haines, Carl Heggs, Ivor Jones, Des Lyttle, Amos Lloyd, Tudor Martin, Tony Millington, Stewart Phillips, Ronnie Rees, David Stewart, James Thomas, Kim Wassell and Colin West.

Former Swans' boss Colin Addison had two spells as Albion's assistant manager under Ron Atkinson; Frank Burrows, another former City manager, was assistant manager during Gary Megson's time at The Hawthorns; Walter Robbins, an Albion forward during the 1930s, was later part of Swansea's coaching staff.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS SWANSEA CITY

 VENUE P W D  L F A
 Home 14 8 3 3 35 17
 Away 15 2 4 9 16 29
 Total 29 10 7 12 51 46

LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST SWANSEA CITY

 DATE

COMPETITION

H/A F-A SCORERS  GATE
 Sat 04 Feb 2012 Premier League H 1-2 Fortuné - Sigurdsson, Graham  24,274
 Sat 17 Sep 2011 Premier League A 0-3 Sinclair (pen), Lita, Dyer  20,341
 Tue 16 Mar 2010 Championship A 2-0 Dorrans (pen), Miller  17,774
 Tue 20 Oct 2009 Championship H 0-1 Beattie  21,022
 Sat 02 Aug 2008 O'Leary Testimonial A 0-0      5,996
 Wed 06 Sep 2000 League Cup H 2-1 Roberts 2 - Bound (pen)  11,328
 Tue 22 Aug 2000 League Cup A 0-0      4,758
 Wed 03 Aug 1994 Friendly A 3-0 Taylor 2, Donovan    1,511
 Wed 19 May 1993 Play-Off SF 2nd Leg H 2-0 Hunt, Hamilton  26,045
 Sun 16 May 1993 Play-Off SF 1st Leg A 1-2 McFarlane (og) - McFarlane, Hayes  13,917
 
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