Date: Wednesday, December 4 Venue: Liberty Stadium Kick-Off: 19:45 Can Newcastle United continue their impressive run of recent form when they travel to Wales to take on Swansea in the Premier League on Wednesday?
Team News
Swansea will continue to be without attacking duo Michu and Wilfried Bony, while defender Angel Rangel remains out. Manager Michael Laudrup must decide if first-choice goalkeeper Michel Vorm is fit enough to start, with Gerhard Tremmel waiting in the wings. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has no reported injury concerns ahead of kick-off. Matthieu Debuchy could retain his place in the starting XI after returning from suspension against West Brom at the weekend. (bbc)
Key Stats
Swansea and Newcastle have only met four times in the top flight, with Swansea winning two to Newcastle's one victory. The Swans have scored more goals (17) than any other side in the bottom half of the table. Newcastle have won four games in a row for the first time since April 2012, when they won six consecutive games en route to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League. Newcastle have taken the lead in nine of their 13 Premier League games this season, going on to win seven of them.
What a month November was for Newcastle. The Magpies won four games in a row for the first time in over a year, which included shock victories over London duo Chelsea and Tottenham, and only conceded two goals along the way. That run of form leaves the north east club sitting pretty in 6th place and they will be confident of extending their unbeaten record against a Swansea side who are fresh off a battering from Manchester City. The Swans were poor in that game, with Jonjo Shelvey a rare shining light, though Michael Laudrup's side haven't exactly been helped by injuries to key players Michu and Wilfried Bony. By contrast, things look bleak if you're a Swansea fan - 13th in the table and five points off the relegation zone, these are tricky times for the Welsh side. Not that Alan Pardew will care, who must be pleased that, in the run up to Christmas, any talk of him losing his job has well and truly quietened down. Prediction: 1-2
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
