Swansea v Leicester: Improving Swans can heap more misery on poor travellers

Swansea City v Leicester City
Sunday, 16:00
Live on Sky Sports 1

Swansea

They may have left the Etihad empty-handed, but Swansea did more than enough in the match against Manchester City to suggest they can maintain their recent upward momentum in the weeks ahead. They showed impressive grit against Pep Guardiola's side and could easily have picked up a point if Lukasz Fabianski had had his catching gloves on in the dying minutes.

That performance came on the back of two consecutive wins, over Liverpool and Southampton, which lifted the Welsh side out of the relegation places. The mood in the camp seems to have improved markedly since the arrival of Paul Clement, so while they're not out of the water yet (there's a Swans joke here if you look hard enough), theirs certainly seems to be an upward trajectory.

There are no new personnel issues to trouble Clement, so we can expect to see a similar team to the one that began in Manchester. Tom Carroll and Martin Olsson have slotted in nicely since arriving in January, but much continues to turn on the displays of ice man Gylfi Sigurdsson, who has scored in his last three league games.

Leicester

There was a bit of light relief for Leicester in the week. The Foxes, who have been in miserable form in the league, had the welcome distraction of an FA Cup replay with Derby and, despite requiring extra time, managed to plot a course to the next round with a reserve side. The quality of the goals scored by Wilfred Ndidi and Demarai Gray will have been especially heartening to their fans.

Now, though, it's back to the bread and butter of the Premier League, and in truth there's little to be chipper about. Leicester have taken one point from a possible 15 since the turn of the year, a run that has left them hovering nervously above the dropzone. The fact they have yet to even score a league goal in 2017 does not reflect well on their attacking potency, while the solidity that defined the defence last season has disappeared completely.

Their worst performances have been reserved for away games: the champions are still without a win on their travels this campaign and have claimed just three points from 12 matches. They'll have to do better if they are to avoid the indignity of relegation a year after winning the title.

Match Odds

In morale terms, there's an ocean between these sides at the moment, so there's no way we would countenance backing travel-shy Leicester at 3.30. The draw holds a little more appeal at 3.35 but Swansea just don't tend to do deadlocks: they have drawn three games all season, the last of which came back in November.

The home side have won just three of their last ten, so there's reason to be reticent about backing them, but their performance level has increased significantly recently and they look far more threatening as an attacking force than the Foxes. Swansea to win is the pick at 2.48.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Swansea, with their generous defence and quality forwards, are always a great pick for overs. Indeed, of their last 25 matches in all competitions, only four have failed to produce at least three goals.

The problem here is Leicester, who cannot be relied upon to contribute much on current form. So while we would lean towards the overs at 2.06, the possibility of Claudio Ranieri's side drawing another blank gives us pause for thought as far as this market is concerned.

Half-time/Full-time

If you fancy Leicester to fall to another defeat, there could be some value in backing Swansea/Swansea the Half-time/Full-time market at 4.10. In their current five-game goalless streak, the Foxes have been losing at the interval three times, only holding firm against Middlesbrough and Burnley - two of the weaker attacks in the division.

To Score

It is hard to look past the in-form Sigurdsson here. The Iceland international has been brilliant under Clement, raiding forward in support of Fernando Llorente and firing shots off from the edge of the box. Leicester will do well to keep him quiet and a price of 2.78for a player who monopolises dead-ball situation seems attractive.

Ref Watch

Jon Moss is the man with the whistle on Sunday. He sent Jamie Vardy off against West Ham in April last year, adjudging that the Leicester forward had dived in the box and handing out a second yellow card.

Recommended Bet
Back Swansea to win at 2.48