Clarets heading back to Wales to take on Swansea
Yesterday at 07:06 PM
Just over a week ago, for our most recent away game, we travelled to south Wales and came home with a 3-1 win against Cardiff and now we make virtually the same journey again for our game at Swansea.
Since that win at Cardiff, we've beaten Luton and drawn against West Brom at home, and that's left us four points behind leaders Leeds and two points behind Sheffield United who are in second place.
Although nothing is ever certain, Sunderland, in fourth place, have dropped away and you would expect two of the top three will take the automatic promotion places with the other one and Sunderland heading into the play-offs.
All three of us have it in our own hands with us still to play Sheffield United, and we'll definitely be keeping an eye on the other two this weekend and in subsequent weeks.
It's the last game before the season's final international break and it's been brilliant news today to see James Trafford win a call up into Thomas Tuchel's first England squad and CJ Egan-Riley win a first under-21 call.
What a week it has been for CJ in particular. Sent off on Tuesday and facing a ludicrous three match ban, common sense prevailed yesterday when the FA commission overturned the red card and now this international call.
The good news for us is he'll be available tomorrow to play alongside Maxime Estève in our defence with Connor Roberts alongside him at right-back, and for Roberts it's a second return to his former club, the club he supports, with Burnley.
He's in no doubt how he wants the game to go and said: "It's always nice going back there and I will always be grateful for the club. It will be the second time going back as a Burnley player and I really want to win the game and that's the main focus for me and the team."
He added: “It's going to be tough. It's a cliché to say but every game in this league is tough and they all pose their different challenges. I think in the last few games you've seen five of the bottom six all win, so it just shows. Anyone can beat anyone, especially when it gets towards the end of the season and some teams need wins more than others and there's a little added pressure in there too."
Roberts has made the right-back position very much his own under Scott Parker. He looked to be heading out when loaned out last year but has recently signed a new contract and has at least two more seasons to come as a Claret.
He will be in the team tomorrow and it's likely to come from the same squad that was on duty in midweek. Parker had some positive news. It looks as though the injury that saw Lyle Foster come off close to the end was just a dead leg and, although it will be some time before they are available, there was also positive news on both Aaron Ramsey and Jordan Beyer.
The team that played West Brom in midweek was: James Trafford, Connor Roberts, CJ Egan-Riley, Maxime Estève, Lucas Pires, Josh Cullen, Josh Brownhill, Marcus Edwards, Hannibal, Jaidon Anthony, Zian Flemming. Subs: Václav Hladký, Oliver Sonne, Joe Worrall, Josh Laurent, Nathan Redmond, Manuel Benson, Jeremy Sarmiento, Luca Koleosho, Ashley Barnes.
Swansea go into the game in 16th place with 44 points. They are in a position that, while not impossible, virtually rules them out of a play-off push while ensuring they won't be dragged into the relegation battle.
They were as high as ninth going into 2025, but only three wins since have seen them drop and also seen the end of manager Luke Williams. He's still to be replaced with Alan Sheehan in charge currently.
They've found goals hard to come by with just 38 scored while conceding 47. Those goals scored have been shared by fifteen players with Liam Cullen leading the way with ten of them.
On a day when it was revealed that club chairman Andy Coleman would be standing down at the end of the season, Sheehan spoke about the team news and admitted they had a few bumps and bruises. He reported that it would be touch and go as to whether Harry Darling would be able to play.
Hannes Delcroix, on loan from us, isn't eligible to play and Myles Peart-Harris, who is on loan from Brentford, has returned to his parent club because of a back injury with Sheehan fearful he's played his last game for them.
The Swansea team last time out at Watford, where they were beaten 1-0 on Wednesday, was: Laurence Vigouroux, Josh Key, Ben Cabango, Hannes Delcroix, Josh Tymon, Gonçalo Franco, Lewis O'Brien, Ronald, Liam Cullen, Eom Ji-Sung, Žan Vipotnik. Subs: Jon McLaughlin, Joe Allen, Florian Bianchini, Cyrus Christie, Ollie Cooper, Jay Fulton, Josh Ginnelly, Kyle Naughton, Sameul Parker.
LAST TIME WE WERE THERE
Our last trip to Swansea was the first game of 2023. We were top of the league on the back of five successive wins and our opponents sat twelfth in the table.
In winning the game 2-1, Swansea became the first team that season that we beat twice and it was a game that saw all three goals scored in the opening half hour.
Nothing much happened in the first ten minutes but we then took control of the game with two goals, both scored by Ian Maatsen. The first came from a free kick, awarded for a foul by Harry Darling on Nathan Tella which Maatsen hit home off the post.
We were looking so good but then Swansea hit back with a goal of their own. A Joe Allen shot was parried out by Arijanet Muric after the slightest of deflections off Jordan Beyer and Ollie Cooper got in to score from close range.
We didn't really ever get the control back but during a tense second half, we generally kept them at bay to pick up another three points.
The teams were;
Swansea: Steven Benda, Joel Latibeaudiere, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Ryan Manning, Joe Allen (Olivier Ntcham 59), Matt Grimes, Jay Fulton (Luke Cundle 58), Joel Piroe, Ollie Cooper (Matty Sorinola 85), Liam Cullen (Cameron Congreve 77). Subs not used: Andy Fisher, Kyle Naughton, Nathan Wood.
Burnley: Arijanet Muric, Connor Roberts, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jordan Beyer, Ian Maatsen, Josh Cullen, Jack Cork, Nathan Tella (Manuel Benson 70), Josh Brownhill, Anass Zaroury (Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson 54), Jay Rodriguez (Ashley Barnes 88). Subs not used: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Charlie Taylor, Samuel Bastien, Scott Twine.
LAST TWENTY SEASONS
2008/09
Away: D 1-1, Guðjónsson
Home: L 0-2
2010/11
Away: L 0-1
Home: W 2-1, Williams(og), Eagles(pen)
2014/15
Away: L 0-1
Home: L 0-1
2016/17
Home: L 0-1
Away: L 2-3, Gray(2 1pen)
2017/18
Home: W 2-0, Cork, Barnes
Away: L 0-1
2022/23
Home: W 4-0, Vitinho, Rodriguez(2), Zaroury
Away: W 2-1, Maatsen(2)
2024/25
Home: W 1-0, Rodriguez(pen)
