Full of confidence after a win in the South Wales derby, an in-form Swansea City travel over the border to face Bristol City in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Russell Martin's men have ascended the second-tier table rapidly over the past month and occupy a playoff position heading into this weekend, whereas the Robins have inconsistency and defensive frailties to blame for a current 13th-placed standing in the table.
Match preview
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Bristol City's unpredictability continued last weekend as they fell to defeat away at Reading without registering a single shot on target, making Reading goalkeeper Joe Lumley wonder if he had even been in a game at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
After a 2-0 success away at West Bromwich Albion the game before, Nigel Pearson may have expected his side to push on but as has been the case on so many occasions this year, they stumbled and produced a performance that left the former Leicester City boss frustrated.
The title of early-season top scorers has been lost due to the goalscoring antics of Vincent Kompany's reinvented Burnley team, and now the Robins can only better Hull City's defensive record, a statistic that will not mix well with any ambitions of a playoff push in their eighth-straight season in the Championship.
Pearson will likely shuffle the pack again for the visit of Swansea - particularly in forward areas - with last season's talismanic figure Andreas Weimann having to settle for appearances off the Bristol bench in recent matches due to the emergence of youngster Tommy Conway.
Despite the blatant inconsistency of his team and consequently his XIs, Pearson is adamant the team are not too far away from finding their rhythm, something that supporters will be keen on happening sooner rather than later considering the World Cup break that is fast approaching.
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After an uninspiring 15th-placed finish in the Championship last campaign, many raised eyebrows at bold predictions for this season during the summer break that came out of the Swansea City camp, but now the whole league is beginning to see why those insiders were so confident.
Martin's men dispatched fierce rivals Cardiff City in the South Wales derby last time out, a result that continued the side's red-hot form in the Championship, having collected 18 points from their last seven outings.
Admittedly Callum Robinson's ball-throwing antics helped the Swans secure a more leisurely victory than expected, but once again Swansea showed an unwavered control of a second-tier game, having 83% possession and limiting Cardiff to only one shot on target.
Now fourth in the Championship standings, Swansea could draw level on points with the automatic promotion spots this weekend if they pick up a maximum in Bristol, with Michael Beale's Queens Park Rangers only three points ahead of them in second.
Team News
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Nigel Pearson will be without two key defensive options when Swansea come to Ashton Gate on Saturday, with Kal Naismith and Tomas Kalas both suffering from calf injuries that will not help the Robins as they attempt to stop conceding a league-leading number of goals.
The Bristol boss has hinted at having to turn to the Under-21s for recruits this weekend with illness spreading through the camp during the build up to this game, so we may see some unfamiliar faces in the starting XI for the home side.
Swansea midfielder Joe Allen is set to be sidelined until after the World Cup, with the Wales international having to see a specialist for a hamstring injury picked up in the victory over Hull in September.
Martin will still be without influential forward Joel Piroe when they travel to Bristol, with the Dutchman serving the second match of his two-game suspension for violent conduct during side's 4-0 loss at Burnley a fortnight ago.
Michael Obafemi will continue to lead the line in Piroe's absence and will look to make it two goals in as many games after scoring in the second period at home to Cardiff last time out.
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; Vyner, Klose, Atkinson; Sykes, James, Weimann, Dasilva, Scott; Semenyo, Wells
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Benda; Wood, Darling, Cabango; Latibeaudiere, Fulton, Grimes, Sorinola; Cundle, Cooper, Obafemi
We say: Bristol City 1-3 Swansea City
Bristol City are not shy in front of goal but it is a leaky defence at the other end that has hampered their start to this Championship campaign.
Swansea are high on confidence after six wins in the last seven and will be eyeing up a fragile Robins' defence when they visit Ashton Gate on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
