WEST BROMWICH ALBION v SWANSEA CITY
Barclays Premier League
Wednesday 11th February 2015, 8:00pm
The Hawthorns

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 35th competitive meeting of the two clubs. Swansea have a slight edge in terms of victories with 15 compared to Albion's 12.

The Baggies' last game on February 11 came last year when a late Victor Anichebe goal earned the Baggies an excellent point from a 1-1 draw with Chelsea. Albion's last win on this date came in 2013 when goals from Gareth McAuley and Romelu Lukaku gave a Steve Clarke-led side a memorable 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.

City's last game on this date came in 2012 when they suffered a 3-2 Premier League defeat at home to Norwich City.

Swansea have won three out of the last four games played between the sides at The Hawthorns.

Albion's last six games: Burnley (A) 2-2; Tottenham Hotspur (H) 0-3; Birmingham City (A, FAC) 2-1; Everton (A) 0-0; Hull City (H) 1-0; Gateshead (H, FAC) 7-0.

Swansea City's last six games: Sunderland (H) 1-1; Southampton (A) 1-0; Blackburn Rovers (A, FAC) 1-3; Chelsea (H) 0-5; West Ham (H) 1-1; Tranmere Rovers (A, FAC) 6-2.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Victor Anichebe is doubtful for Tony Pulis' men after picking up a groin strain in the warm-up ahead of last Sunday's game at Burnley.

Goalkeeper Boaz Myhill returns to the substitutes bench after missing the last two games with a hand injury.

Jonas Olsson played 90 minutes for the under-21 side at Brighton on Monday but won't be considered for the game with the Swans.

Swansea City

Wayne Routledge is available after recovering from a calf strain whilst Modou Barrow is fit despite suffering a knock against Sunderland.

Gylfi Sigurdsson is missing as he completes a ban and Marvin Emnes remains injured.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 6/4, Swansea City Win: 2/1, Draw: 21/10.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Berahino 5/1, Anichebe 11/2, Ideye 13/2, McManaman 15/2, Sessegnon 15/2, Gardner 11/1, Brunt 12/1, Dorrans 12/1, Morrison 14/1, Dawson 20/1, Fletcher 25/1, McAuley 25/1, Lescott 25/1, Baird 28/1, Yacob 28/1, Olsson 33/1.

Swansea City: Gomis 11/2, Oliveira 7/1, Shelvey 15/2, Barrow 8/1, Sung-Yueng 9/1, Dyer 9/1, Montero 11/1, Grimes 12/1, Cork 14/1, Fulton 20/1, Rangel 25/1, Bartley 25/1, Britton 25/1, Carroll 25/1, Naughton 28/1, Fernandez 33/1, Amat 33/1, Taylor 33/1.

No goalscorer: 7/1.

www.williamhill.com

REFEREE

Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)

Madley has taken charge of two Albion games previously - the League Cup tie with Arsenal in September 2013 which the Gunners won on penalties and the 3-0 win at Southampton in April 2013.

The West Yorkshire official has taken charge of one Swansea game this season - their 2-1 defeat at home to Spurs in December.

Madley has issued 66 yellow cards and four red in the 19 games he has officiated so far this season.

A full run-down of Madley's history refereeing the Baggies can be found here

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are now on general sale at the reduced prices of £15 adults, £10 seniors (over-60s), £10 students/under-21s and £5 under-17s.

WEATHER FORECAST

Thick cloud, 3°C

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 0-2 Swansea City
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 1 September 2013, 1:30pm

Albion: Myhill; Jones, McAuley, Olsson (c), Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Morrison (Dorrans HT), Yacob (Rosenberg 75); Long, Anelka, Sinclair (Berahino 75). Subs not used: L Daniels (gk), Lugano, Dawson, Brunt.

Booked: McAuley 29 (foul), Yacob 38 (foul), Dorrans 54 (foul), Olsson 65 (foul)

Swansea City: Vorm; Rangel, Flores, Williams (c), Davies; Hernandez, Canas, Shelvey, Routledge (Pozuelo 71); Michu, Bony (De Guzman 66). Subs not used: Tremmel (gk), Amat, Britton, Richards, Lamah.

Goalscorers: Davies 23, Hernandez 83

Booked: Michu 61 (unsporting behaviour), Rangel 70 (encroaching), Pozuelo 76 (foul)

Attendance: 23,395

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

Ben Davies' emphatic volley and Pablo Hernandez's late second handed Swansea their first points of the Barclays Premier League season, seeing off West Brom 2-0 at The Hawthorns. Having lost to Manchester United and Tottenham, Michael Laudrup's side were in need of a result to lift them off bottom spot and duly delivered with Hernandez teeing up Davies for the opener before applying the finishing touch in the 83rd minute. Swansea had started lethargically, but West Brom failed to convert a lively start into goals and paid the price when Davies' second career goal left them chasing the game. They could not find a way back into it as the game progressed and instead found themselves opened up at the back in the closing minutes. While Swansea's campaign is now up and running, Albion head into the international break with one point from three matches.

The day had started with Steve Clarke confirming Nicolas Anelka's return to the fold, less than two weeks since his mooted retirement, by including the striker in the starting XI. His name was the most notable on Clarke's team sheet but there was also a first league start for on-loan Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair, against his old club. Swansea showed six changes from the side that took on Petrolul Ploiesti in Europa League qualifying, with a handful of senior men restored.

Wilfried Bony won a dangerous free-kick for Swansea after just two minutes, Jonjo Shelvey curling his effort over the crossbar from just outside the area. But otherwise, the opening stages were all about West Brom. All eyes were on Anelka and he was busy. He busted Swansea's offside trap early on but, having darted into the area, his cut back was easily gathered by Michel Vorm. Anelka's hunger was again in evidence when he chased a lofted pass right to the byline and dragged his pass back towards Billy Jones, who failed to get a clean connection despite a couple of attempts. The Frenchman was proving a real handful for Swansea and outmuscled Chico Flores to offer James Morrison a sight of goal in the 13th minute. His shot would have tested Vorm at the near post, had it not been charged down. By now, Albion were all over the visitors and came even closer to an opener three minutes later. Sinclair's free-kick from the right was headed towards the bottom corner by Morrison but struck his unwitting team-mate Shane Long and bounced clear. Then, entirely against the run of play, Davies struck. Hernandez was the provider, attacking the left of the West Brom defence and finding Davies at the second attempt, his first cross having been headed clear. When the ball fell for the left-back he met it with a crisp side-footed volley that left Boaz Myhill rooted. The goal gave the visitors new confidence and a clever piece of footwork from Bony on the halfway line could have left West Brom exposed had Gareth McAuley not dragged the Ivorian down and earned a booking. The closest the hosts came to levelling before the break came after 31 minutes when Long fed Anelka and he just missed the target with a powerful low shot.

Morrison made way for Graeme Dorrans at the break but with an hour gone, West Brom were still behind and hardly threatening. Swansea's game plan appeared to be a conservative one if Shelvey's increasingly deep positioning was anything to go by. With half-an-hour to go Michu might have found himself in trouble with a fussier referee or a more dramatic opponent. The Spaniard took offence to a foul by Claudio Yacob and responded by pushing him in the chest, picking up nothing worse than a yellow card. Mike Dean took Jonas Olsson's name next, the defender having tangled with Bony on the touchline. It was Bony's final involvement before being replaced by Jonathan de Guzman, a swap that saw Michu move up front. With 70 minutes gone Wayne Routledge spurned a wonderful chance to make it 2-0, racing clear for what should have been a one-on-one with Myhill only to hesitate and allow McAuley to make a clinical blocking challenge. McAuley's header at the other end was close to levelling the scores moments later but it was to get worse, not better for his side. Hernandez, shortly after grazing the crossbar from 20 yards, was on hand when Michu unselfishly rolled the ball across the box from close range. Michu might have shot from an awkward angle, but instead left his fellow Spaniard with a near open goal to power his shot into.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Baggies' coach Gerry Francis had a short spell as a Swansea player back in 1984.

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, Adam Chambers, Arthur Cook, Ted Crowe, Neil Cutler, Robbie Dennison, Bob Finch, Roy Finch, Jack Haines, Carl Heggs, Ivor Jones, Des Lyttle, Amos Lloyd, Tudor Martin, Tony Millington, Luke Moore, Frank Nouble, Stewart Phillips, Ronnie Rees, David Rushbury, Scott Sinclair, David Smith, David Stewart, James Thomas, Kim Wassell and Colin West.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS SWANSEA CITY