Swansea City head to West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday in an attempt to secure their third straight Premier League victory and to move up in the standings in the process.

One place and three points apart, it promises to be a tight encounter - just as the reverse fixture was, when this weekend's visitors emerged as 1-0 victors.

Swans looking to progress up the table

The Jacks have struggled on the road as they have only won two games this season away from the Liberty Stadium. The Welsh club have drawn three and lost their other six matches on the road but, with their new head coach Francesco Guidolin, they recently earned that second win with victory against Everton last Sunday.

The Swans are now in 15th place with 25 points - and the club right ahead of them in the standings is the Baggies. Victory at the Hawthorns would take them above tomorrow's opponents on goal difference - but help from Watford could see them leapfrog reigning champions Chelsea too. 

The Hornets must beat the London based club by a few goals for this to happen, whilst Swansea put a few past West Brom. However, the Jacks cannot worry about what they can’t control.

However, if the Welsh club fail to leave the West Midlands with any points then they are in danger of falling deeper into the relegation battle.

Both Bournemouth and Norwich City are right behind the Jacks in the standings, but if the Swans take care of business on Tuesday it will not matter what happens in their matches.

Baggies defence to pose a problem

Swansea can ensure victory if they force the Baggies out of their defensive shell. The midfield must move the ball quickly around the pitch to create gaps in the back line.

Albion manager Tony Pulis is known for playing a defensive game. His style frustrates the opponent and their physical play slows down their attack.

Therefore, Guildolin must put André Ayew back in the midfield and get him involved early in the game. Against Everton, the Ghanaian international was constantly on the move and active throughout the match. He scored the game winning goal and his effort set up the first goal of the game too. Ayew's presence in the midfield also creates more space for Iceland international midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson to operate in.

Ki Sung-Yeung's goal was the difference when these two met back in December at the Liberty. | Photo: Reuters
Ki Sung-Yeung's goal was the difference when these two met back in December at the Liberty. | Photo: Reuters

When those two are running at full speed the rest of the offense comes to life. Whether the Italian coach starts Wayne Routledge or gives new signing Alberto Paloschi a chance on the front line, one thing is for sure - the attackers need to finish their chances.

West Brom's defense does not give up too many chances in a game for their opponent. The few shots they create on Tuesday have to be on target or else the Jacks will find themselves heading back home empty-handed and getting closer to the relegation zone.

This is Guidolin's second match in charge and he already has a must win game on his hands, so it will be more than interesting to see what happens.

Team news

There are no injury concerns for Swansea heading in this game, with everyone fit and firing ahead of a crucial clash. There is positive news on top of this too, with Paloschi in line to make his debut for the club after a £8 million switch to the club last week.

As for the Baggies, though Chris Brunt and James Morrison remained sidelined, Darren Fletcher should be fit again after suffering a knee injury. Saido Berahino should also be available for selection too, having trained ahead of the game despite being troubled with a dead leg recently.

West Brom could also have debutants on show, with Sandro and Alex Pritchard both having arrived at the club in the last few days.

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About the author
Jorge Belon
My name is Jorge Belon. I’m a writer for VAVEL USA and VAVEL UK. My focus is on soccer. Throughout the years I have created different blogs all revolving around soccer. My first was Mr. JB Soccer in 2012. Now I currently operate Belon Soccer News (BSN), where I cover soccer mostly from North America and international tournaments. I am a college at Los Angeles Valley College. I was a part of the college newspaper, The Valley Star for two years. At the Star I held the position of Sports Editor, News Editor, Managing Editor and Editor in Chief. I have been writing about soccer for the past three years. I have covered: Major League Soccer, Gold Cup, Under-20 Men’s World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Men’s World Cup and many more.