- These teams have never met in the Premier League
- Hull have won just once in their last 31 PL away games
- Swansea have won 21 of their 32 home league games vs. Hull
In what promises to be an intriguing battle between skill and guile on Monday night at the Liberty Stadium, it’s worth noting that 10 years ago both these sides were battling it out in the fourth-tier of English soccer in front of 6,000 fans at Swansea’s somewhat dilapidated Vetch Field stadium. That day Swansea won to keep themselves in the Football League and it’s been an upward spiral ever since.
Swansea and Hull (watch live 3pm ET, on NBCSN and NBC Sports live Extra) have come a long way in a short space of time and this match marks their first-ever meeting in the Premier League.
WATCH LIVE ON NBCSN AND NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA, 3pm ET
Michael Laudrup’s Swansea come into the game on good form after winning tw0-straight games after destroying Newcastle 3-0 at the Liberty on Wednesday. As for Hull, their fantastic start to the campaign has petered off slightly and now they’ve won just twice in eight games. However with a recent home win over Liverpool under their belt and a dogged yet unsuccessful display away at Arsenal, Steve Bruce’s men will be confident that can get at least a point at Swansea.
As for teams news, Michu and Wilfried Bony could both start up front as both players trained on Sunday. Michu has been missing for over a month and his return will add some extra firepower to the Swans attack. Hull will welcome back captain Curtis Davies after he missed the 2-0 defeat by Arsenal in midweek through suspension.
What they’re saying
Michael Laudrup on facing Hull: “I expect a very well organized team. I have seen four or five of their games. They never lose their organization in midfield and defense, and they are very difficult to play against. We have to play quick, we have to move the ball around – and with a lot of patience. In one game, we can beat anybody, but they have 17 points and we have 18, so it’s really a game that I would like to win for a lot of reasons - because we are playing at home, because we can move above 20 points and because we can leave a lot of teams behind.”
Steve Bruce on his teams plan: “I don’t think our approach will differ. We’ll go there and look to take part in the game and see if we can get a result. That is always the key thing – can we go and get a result? To do that, we know we’re going to have to play well.”
Prediction
Given the poor away form of Hull and Swansea’s two wins on the spin, you’d be expecting an easy home win. But I’m not so sure. The Swans have been thwarted by many teams at home over the past 12 months as most opposition teams arrive and shut up shop by parking the bus. This game will see two contrasting styles play out as the free-flowing attack of Swansea collides with Hull’s no-nonsense defensive approach. That said, I think it will be a draw in South Wales.
