Matt WilliamsSwansea put an end to their winless ways at the weekend with an impressive 1-0 win at home to Blackburn. Michael Obafemi scored his first home league goal for The Swans, with the returning Jamie Paterson grabbing the assist.
Next up for The Swans is a trip to Stoke. In what is fast becoming the Sam Clucas derby, Russell Martin will be hoping for back-to-back wins when he takes his side to the Bet365 Stadium. The home side started the season off strong but have faltered in recent weeks. They have won just one of their last seven league games.
Their January Transfer Window
After bringing in the likes of Ben Wilmot in the summer, Stoke enjoyed another busy window in January.
First team signings
Albeit a month prior to the window opening, Stoke signed Frank Fielding from Millwall. The English keeper arrived on a free transfer on Dec. 1.
Their first of two permanent January signings was Lewis Baker, who arrived from Chelsea after more than 16 years at the Blues. Baker first joined Chelsea as a nine-year-old in 2005 but failed to make a Premier League appearance for the club. After eight loan spells at Vitesse, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Trabzonspor and five English clubs, Baker finally departed Chelsea, joining Stoke for an undisclosed fee. He has made four Championship appearances for Stoke so far, scoring once.
A day later, they added their second permanent signing. Veteran centre-back Phil Jagielka joined on a free transfer from Derby County. The 39-year-old has played every minute for Stoke since arriving. Jagielka played 40 times for England between 2008-2016.
Keen to further bolster their squad, Stoke also added four loan signings. The first was Taylor Harwood-Bellis, an England Under-21 international from Manchester City. At 20-years-old, the centre-back already has Championship experience after a loan spell at Blackburn. He also played for Anderlecht last season.
Stoke added a winger 10 days later, bringing in Jaden Philogence-Bidace from Aston Villa. The 19-year-old has featured in three Championship games so far.
They made two further signings on Deadline Day, bringing in striker Josh Maja and centre-back Liam Moore. Maja came in from French club Bordeaux while Moore arrived from Reading.
First team outgoings
Given the signings of Jagielka, Harwood-Bellis and Moore, it was inevitable that Stoke would lose a centre-back. After three years and 100 league appearances, Danny Batth departed on a free transfer. He joined Sunderland in League One.
Adam Davies also moved on, although he remained in the Championship by joining Sheffield United. The Welsh shot-stopper left for an undisclosed fee after three years in Stoke.
Despite only joining in the summer, Sam Surridge departed Stoke on Deadline Day. He moved to Nottingham Forest, reuniting with Steve Cooper in the process. Surridge scored just two goals in 20 games for Stoke.
Stoke also allowed three two senior players to leave on loan, with Alfie Doughty and Tom Ince joining Cardiff City and Reading respectively.
Their Captain
Stoke are captained by a very familiar face. Former Swansea midfielder Joe Allen was named club captain in July 2021 after five years at the club.
The Carmarthen-born midfielder first arrived at Swansea in 2000, aged just nine. He came up through the youth system before making his League debut in 2007.
Allen spent much of his first few seasons on the fringes. However, he became a key player in 2010-11, featuring in 40/46 Championship games as Swansea achieved promotion to the Premier League.
He continued to impress upon Swansea’s return to the top flight, scoring four Premier League goals in 36 outings. This was enough to earn him a move to Premier League giants Liverpool. Allen followed Brendan Rodgers who had also just departed for the Merseyside club.
Allen spent four seasons at Liverpool, making 91 Premier League appearances. He was also involved in 24 European games. However, Rodgers’ sacking and Jurgen Klopp’s subsequent appointment saw Allen on the transfer list. Ahead of Euro 2016, Swansea were said to be close to signing him. However, they dithered and ultimately withdrew their interest, leaving Allen to join Stoke City.
His debut season at Stoke proved to be his most productive to date, with six Premier League goals in 36 games. He made the same number of appearances in the following season as Stoke were relegated along with Swansea. While The Swans’ squad was obliterated in the summer of 2018, Stoke strengthened as they attempted to push for an immediate return. Allen retained his place in the team, featuring in all 46 league games.
Since Stoke’s relegation, Allen has remained in the first-team squad, although his appearances were limited last season. However, he has made 24 so far during this campaign.
Allen’s impressive midfield work has made him a household name in Wales, with 69 caps to his name already. Allen was an integral part of the Welsh team that reached the semi-finals at Euro 2016. Although an injury in 2020 initially ruled him out of Euro 2020, the tournament’s one-year delay meant he was fit to represent Wales.
He remains an important player for both club and country.
Their Top Scorer
Jacob Brown has led the line for Stoke this season, with seven goals to his name so far. The 23-year-old striker joined from Barnsley in 2020 after scoring 11 in 74 for the Northern side.
Brown began his youth career at Sheffield Wednesday, joining when he was 12-years-old. He was released two years later, joining non-league Guiseley.
After impressing against Barnsley in an under-18 game, he joined the club on a permanent deal. After a brief loan spell at Chesterfield, Brown broke into the Barnsley first team in 2018. He scored eight in 32 League One games, helping Barnsley bounce back to the Championship.
His first full season in the Championship was difficult, with only three goals in 40 games. However, Stoke saw enough in him to sign him for an undisclosed fee in 2020. His goal record improved slightly in his debut season; he scored five goals in 41 appearances.
Brown has already surpassed last season, with seven goals in 28 games.
Previous Meeting
Fans will most likely remember the previous meeting for Sam Clucas’ controversial goal celebration. However, Russell Martin will be more focused on an improved performance.
Swansea hosted Stoke at the renamed Swansea.com Stadium on Tuesday, 17th August. It was the third game of the Championship season with Swansea having picked up just one point.
The Swans didn’t get off to the ideal start when Stoke took the lead after 15 minutes. Nick Powell headed home to give the visitors the advantage.
Swansea’s evening got much worse in the 53rd minute as two ex-Swans linked up to double Stoke’s advantage. Surridge played in Clucas, who struck from range. Clucas failed to deliver for The Swans following his £16.5 million move from Hull. He rubbed salt in the wounds by sprinting to the East Stand and removing his shirt, showing Swansea fans the name of one of their most disappointing signings.
Stoke made it three on the hour mark as Brighton loanee Leo Ostigard tapped in from close range. Swansea were able to pull one back, with Joel Piroe scoring his first of many for the club so far. However, it still saw Swansea suffer their second defeat in three games.
Final score – Swansea City 1-3 Stoke City
Match Preview
There were plenty of positives in Swansea’s 1-0 win over Blackburn. Obafemi appears to be fully settling in after a rocky start, while Paterson’s return gave The Swans a significant boost. Hannes Wolf also impressed once again, plus Andy Fisher secured his first clean sheet for the club.
However, the game was slightly marred by Ryan Manning’s red card. The Irish defender was shown a second yellow card, meaning he will miss Tuesday’s clash with Stoke. His absence could make way for Fin Burns to make his debut.
Expect a tough game, despite Stoke’s recent form. The aforementioned Clucas always seems to find form when Swansea come to town, with a hostile reaction inevitable.
After this game, Swansea will return to South Wales on Sunday when they host Bristol City.
