Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to
Sports Mole's live text coverage of
Swansea City's Premier League clash with
Burnley at the Liberty Stadium.
It has been seven days since Swansea spoiled Louis van Gaal's Manchester United inauguration at Old Trafford, but the question on everyone's lips: can they muster the same motivation to see off Premier League new boys Burnley?
How often have we seen it? David slays Goliath before slipping on a banana skin. This sense of irony is often witnessed on a football field, but Swans boss
Garry Monk is confident that his side will exhibit no signs of complacency at the Liberty Stadium today.
He told reporters earlier this week: "There is a concern [for complacency], which is why I've stressed [this] to them. We know how important it is to follow up. There are no guarantees, but if we can get preparations as best as possible it gives you a chance of delivering a performance you're happy with."
Before we go any further, let's delve into some team news shall we?
Swansea City XI: Fabianski, Rangel, Amat, Williams, Taylor, Ki, Shelvey, Dyer, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Bony
Burnley XI: Heaton; Trippier, Shackell, Duff, Mee; Arfield, Jones, Marney, Taylor; Ings, Jutkiewicz
Swansea Subs: Tremmel, Bartley, Tiendalli, Richards, Montero, Sheehan, Gomis.
Burnley Subs: Gilks, Wallace, Kightly, Sordell, Reid, Ward, Barnes
We'll start with the news that neither of Swansea's recent signings -
Federico Fernandez and Spurs loanee Tom Carroll - have been included in the match-day squad. Instead, Monk sticks with a winning formula and names an identical first XI from the side that surprised United last week. If it isn't broken then don't fix it, says Monk.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, who struck the winner at Old Trafford, retains his selection of course, playing behind lone striker Wilfried Bony, who manages to keep new signing Bafitembi Gomis on the bench. Stay tuned for Burnley team news in the coming minutes.
Likewise, Burnley boss
Sean Dyche has also kept faith with his team following the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday night. Their goalscorer from Monday night,
Scott Arfield, retains his place in the first XI, while Lukas Jutkiewicz partners
Danny Ings in attack. Michael Duff, meanwhile, will earn his 500th senior league appearance. I'm not wearing a cap, but if I were I'd doff it in your direction, sir.
Before we go any further,
Sports Mole would like to take the opportunity to wish Swansea captain
Ashley Williams a very happy birthday as the big man turns 30 today. Over 250 Swansea appearances, stretching back to their time in League One, helping the club to League Cup glory back in 2013 AND he got away with the attempted murder of Robin van Persie. Interesting career, eh?
Right, let's have a look at how Burnley got on in their first game back in the Premier League on Monday....
Despite enduring a baptism of fire of sorts, how much can we read into their 3-1 defeat to Chelsea? Not a lot, right? Chelsea, with Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa in their ranks, are considered favourites for the title, and they'll thump plenty of teams by more than a two-goal margin this season. Today's encounter will provide a much more accurate barometer to where Burnley are at, and how far they can go.
It's fascinating to see how
Danny Ings adapts to Premier League football, too. The hitman netted 21 times in helping Burnley reach the promise land last term but, as we know, it's a different proposition for him this season. You could argue that Burnley's survival may hinge on how the youngster settles into life in the top flight. Plenty of prolific Championship marksman have tried and failed to make the step up in class. Let's see how Ings gets on today alongside Jutkiewicz.
Speaking of strikers who have something to prove in the Premier League, Bafitembi Gomis could get his second Swansea outing today after being named on the bench. The 29-year-old arrives in England as a regular 20-goal-a-season man in his native France, scoring 60 times in his last three seasons with Lyon. Like the Championship, though, this represents a step up in class from Ligue 1. There's little pressure on him having arrived on a Bosman, which could perhaps allow him the freedom to establish himself at the club.
STAT! Here's a slightly ominous statistic from a Burnley perspective: the Clarets boast the worst away record in Premier League history, having won just four points away from Turf Moor throughout their ill-fated 2009-10 campaign. However, in Swansea they face a side who won just six times at home last season. Where's your money then folks? I know where mine is and I'll tell you very soon.
Before I give my prediction, why not check out what the lads down at
Sports Mole HQ have had to say on this afternoon's game?
PREDICTION! I also see Swansea winning - and winning well! I don't think the buzz of beating United last week will have worn off just yet, and I think it'll take Burnley a few games to get acclimatised to the top flight. 4-1 Swansea. Mystic Meg is my auntie so, you know, this kind of thing is in my blood. She's not really. 10 minutes to kickoff.
Tom Carroll and
Federico Fernandez receive a warm welcome as they're unveiled on the field. Neither are involved today, of course, having signed recently. Around five minutes until kickoff, my friends!
KICKOFF: And we're off at the Liberty Stadium as Burnley get us underway! Fantastic.
Scott Arfield registers the first shot of the game. Unfortunately, it's nothing like his thump against Chelsea on Monday and it trickles out for a goal kick.
OFF THE LINE! Swansea come agonisingly close from taking the lead!
Nathan Dyer gallops down the right flank before standing up a cross for Wilfried Bony, whose header looks to be sailing into the top corner but Jason Shackell comes up with a crucial intervention and averts the danger. What a start that would've been.
Swansea are in the mood here, folks. Bony plays a wonderful through ball for Wayne Routledge, who races through on goal but the winger is later flagged for offside. Ominous start for Burnley...
Excellent from Bony, who plays a fantastic back-heel through ball to Routledge again, but Duff is on hand to clear the danger. Burnley boss
Sean Dyche is furious on the sideline. He's not a man I'd want to make angry!
SHOT! Despite the early dominance it's Burnley who nearly go ahead. Danny Ings, their top goalscorer of last season, fires a left-footed half-volley narrowly over the bar from outside the area. If it was on target Fabianski was not reaching it...
Much better from Burnley, and it's Ings again causing problems. The striker exchanges a neat one-two with Ben Mee, before firing across goal but Fabianski reaches it before Lukas Jutkiewicz can tap home. Fabulous response by the visitors.
Burnley bossing the possession stakes now, comfortably stroking it around as Swansea look second best at the moment.
Burnley are getting plenty of joy down that left-hand flank, as Ben Mee fires in a couple of decent crosses but Fabianski collects both of them.
Ings is playing really well, showing that he's well capable on the Premier League stage thus far. The young striker does well to evade a tackle from Routledge before crossing for Matt Taylor, but
Ashley Williams clears the danger for a corner, which came to nothing. Very decent first 15 minutes!
CHANCE! Oh dear. Sigurdsson should've put Swansea a goal up. Jonjo Shelvey plays a sumptuous crossfield pass to Routledge, whose ball across the goal-face is met by Sigurdsson, who shoots straight into the grateful arms of Tom Heaton.
Swans boss Garry Monk looks on from the sidelines, surely happy with what he has seen so far. The last time these sides met Monk was actually playing! At 35, he's the Premier League's youngest manager.
GOAL! SWANSEA 1-0 BURNLEY (DYER)
Swansea finally have tangible reward for their goalmouth dominance and it's Dyer, who tucks his shot beneath the body of Tom Heaton at the near post following a superb through ball from Sigurdsson. It's Dyer's 100th Swansea appearance and what a way to mark it.
We've seen the magic spray for the first time today, folks. Burnley whip a free kick into the area, but Fabianski - previously known as 'Flappyhandski' from his time at Arsenal - asserts himself well and punches the ball clear.
The Polish keeper is tested again just now, as Jutkiewicz fires a ball into the area but Fabianski is equal to it.
Bony is proving just as important in his own box as he is in the opposition area, heading away a Danny Ings free kick on the half-hour mark. He really is enjoying himself out there at the moment.
Burnley have responded well to going behind but have struggled to fashion any attempts to get back on level terms. Swansea, meanwhile, look stylish and slick - as does Garry Monk, who is wearing a three-piece suit and sporting an Olivier Giroud-type haircut. Pep Guardiola may not be the most stylish manager anymore!
Around nine minutes until half-time and Swansea look comfortable. You can see why they fought to hang on to Wilfried Bony because the Ivory Coast striker has looked excellent so far.
STAT: Swansea boasting 61% of the possession thus far, with Burnley of course on 39%. There's only one stat that matters, however, and the hosts have that one too!
SHOT: Swansea press for a second before the break as
Gylfi Sigurdsson volleys narrowly over the bar from outside the area.
We'll have one minute of stoppage time here, my friends. Sean Dyche won't be too animated in his half-time team-talk because his troops haven't been bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they will need to improve.
HALF-TIME: SWANSEA 1-0 BURNLEY
That's all she wrote for the first 45 minutes here, ladies and gents. Swansea lead 1-0 thanks to Nathan Dyer's finish midway through the first half. They're good value for it, too. Burnley have had their moments and, while they're nowhere near out of this, Dyche will know that they've got a steep task ahead in order to get something out of this because Monk's side could have had two or three there.
That's all she wrote for the first 45 minutes here, ladies and gents. Swansea lead 1-0 thanks to Nathan Dyer's finish midway through the first half. They're good value for it, too. Burnley have had their moments and, while they're nowhere near out of this, Dyche will know that they've got a steep task ahead in order to get something out of this because Monk's side could have had two or three there.
Interestingly, this is the first time that these sides have met in a top-flight clash. Strange, right? You can see how Swansea managed to string together 29 passes in scoring the opener against United last week. Some of their play is really good and they've managed to carve through Burnley a number of times this afternoon.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back underway!
CHANCE! Bony might've done better here. The Ivory Coast striker is through on goal but, before he could get his shot away, Jason Shackell recovers well and just done enough to put off the forward. That's two potentially goal-saving interventions from the defender!
CHANCE! Talk about goal-saving interventions from defenders, Ashley Williams just epitomised the term. The big man throws himself in the line of Lukas Jutciewicz shot from close range after the ball kindly fell to him. It would've been 1-1 there if not for the birthday boy, who turned 30 today.
CHANCE: Oh my word Burnley should be level here, folks. Sean Dyche's side continue their strong start to the half, and should've restored parity when Arfield blazed over the bar from close range. The ball is probably landing in Cardiff as we speak.
Swansea have done well to take the sting out of this one and slow Burnley's momentum a little. You wonder if they will end up rueing those two chances.
Silly from Jonjo Shelvey, who bundles Matt Taylor over to concede a free kick beside the corner flag. Burnley fizz the ball into the area, but Dean Marney loses another ball as he fires a volley well over the bar after Swansea cleared their lines.
Safe hands there from Fabianski, and there had to be! The Polish keeper comes to collect Ings's curling cross, with Jutkiewicz ready to pounce in the event of a fumble. He's done well today Fabianski.
CHANCE! They've only gone and missed another one, folks! Lukas Jutkiewicz glances a free header agonisingly over the bar from Dean Marney's lofted pass. Welcome to the Premier League pal! You really can't miss those at this level.
DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION: Bony makes way for Bafitembi Gomis. Very much like-for-like as the Frenchman now spearheads Swansea's attack. Meanwhile, Jefferon Montero replaces goalscorer Nathan Dyer, who gets a standing ovation for his contribution.
SAVE! Swansea are hanging on to their lead by their finger tips, as Fabianski produces a fantastic save, tapping David Jones's goal-bound effort wide of the post. It's only a matter of time, surely?
SUBSTITUTION: Sean Dyche rolls the dice and replaces Matt Taylor with Ross Wallace. Can that be the change to inspire Burnley? Stay tuned.
YELLOW CARD: Jonjo Shelvey booked for a cynical foul on Dean Marney, who drove toward goal before being fouled. Good play by the midfielder. Free kick to follow...
It comes to nothing as Ross Wallace is twice denied by the Swansea wall. Some 15 minutes left here folks!
Swansea passed their Manchester United test with flying colors, but hanging on to this lead represents a different kind of exam for the South Welsh club. As it stands they're passing it....
Gylfi Sigurdsson fires a free kick deep into Burnley's area but the Clarets rebuff Swansea's bid to kill this one off.
YELLOW CARD: Michael Duff becomes the second player to be booked as the veteran defender steps across Jefferson Montero. Swansea nearly score from the resulting free kick, with Tom Heaton beating Gomis to Sigurdsson's cross, before Ki blazed over from the edge of the area. That's where Swansea will want the ball for the next 10 minutes or so.
SUBSTITUTION: Ashley Barnes replaces Jutkiewicz, who will leave that field feeling a little raw having missed a couple of really good chances to score.
Time is rapidly running out for Burnley here my friends. Five minutes left and Sean Dyche's side look fresh out of ideas....
Williams has been exceptional today. The defender twice cuts Burnley's supply line to Danny Ings at crucial times. If the Swans hang on then he can rest easy knowing that he played a big part in the victory.
SUBSTITUTION: Garry Monk looks to sure things up by replacing Routledge with right-back Dwight Tiendalli for the final few minutes here at the Liberty. Three minutes added on!
SUBSTITUTION: Dyche deploys striker Marvin Sordell in a final throw of the dice.
Jordi Amat stabs away Ben Mee's low cross in what is probably Burnley's last foray into the Swansea area. One minute left.
SHOT! Ashley Barnes has Burnley's last chance of the game surely, turning Amat before volleying over Fabianski's bar.
FULL TIME: SWANSEA CITY 1-0 BURNLEY
That's all she wrote my friends! Nathan Dyer's first-half strike proves enough to down a spirited, yet utterly wasteful Burnley side at the Liberty Stadium. That's two wins from two for the Welsh club following their heroics at Old Trafford last week. A very different test for Gary Monk's side this afternoon, but one they ultimately passed.
Thank you for joining me this afternoon for what was an enjoyable clash at the Liberty Stadium. Stay tuned for analysis and player ratings. For now, though, it is goodbye. Cheers!