Season › 2011-12 › News

Swansea City vs Everton

Match Preview

With the momentum of their good run of results since mid-January stalling, Everton face a tricky-looking trip to Swansea City as they seek a morale-boosting win ahead of the all-important FA Cup quarter-final replay at Sunderland.

The Swans only returned to the top flight at the beginning of the season but sit in eighth place with eight games of the Premier League season to go with a squad that cost a fraction of the teams around them.

Not only have they thus far out-performed a clutch of clubs who would have expected to be well above them at ths stage of the season — and that would include Everton, of course — but they have done it with style, sticking by an attractive passing game that has started to reap dividends away from the Liberty Stadium after initially struggling on the road.

Their home form has been particularly impressive, though. They've only been beaten in Swansea twice this season — to fellow new-boys Norwich City and Champions Manchester United — and their last scalp was Manchester City whom they bested by a goal to nil two weeks ago.

So David Moyes will not be taking this first visit to south Wales lightly, particularly given his team's struggles in front of goal recently. The Blues have scored just once in their last three matches in all competitions and continue to have problems creating enough chances.

Moyes's options could be bolstered by the return of Darron Gibson, though, after a month out with a knee injury. The Irishman returned to full training at the beginning of the week and could line up alongside Marouane Fellaini in central midfield.

And given the number of changes the manager rang for the Merseyside derby 10 days ago, there could more shuffling of the pack in other areas of the pitch, with Phil Neville, Magaye Gueye, Victor Anichebe and Denis Stracqualursi possible options depending on how many of his regulars Moyes feels he should rest.

These two sides have only met 14 times before but Swansea have never beaten Everton and, with the gap to Liverpool in 7th standing at just five points, it would be disappointing if the Blues succumbed to a first defeat to the Swans this weekend.

In truth, a draw with no disclipinary or injury issues would be a perfectly satisfactory outcome with the quarter-final replay in mind.

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