Swanseavs.Plymouth

The Swans secured an all-important success over Derby County on the weekend, whilst the Pilgrims managed a Home Park victory over Norwich City on the same day.

Match preview

Finishing inside the playoffs as recently as 2021, Swansea City look set for another campaign of midtable mediocrity in the Championship, with their possession-based style of football failing to reap the ultimate rewards and take them back to the riches of the Premier League.

Following back-to-back defeats prior to the final international break of the term in March, the Swans have collected four points from two matches against top-two chasing Leeds United and Derby, with the latter turning out to be the victims of the Welsh club on Saturday afternoon.

Earning his second cameo off the bench since returning from international duty with South Korea last month, Ji-Sung Eom found the net in the final 15 minutes for Swansea, sentencing the Rams to their 21st defeat of the 2024-25 league term.

With six matches left to play of the second-tier campaign, the Swans are currently occupying 15th position in the Championship standings, seven points from Cardiff City in 22nd, meaning that one more win should do the trick as Alan Sheehan's boys aim to secure safety.

In danger of being cut adrift at the bottom of second-tier proceedings, Plymouth Argyle put in an inspired display at Home Park on Saturday afternoon, when a first-half Ryan Hardie brace was enough to defeat Norwich, who managed a second-period consolation through Josh Sargent.

With only seven of their 37 Championship points arriving on the road this term, it is safe to say that the Pilgrims get homesick more often than not, with Wednesday night's visitors to South Wales winning just one of their 20 away league matches this season.

That sole success arrived just before March's international break across the South Coast at Fratton Park, where Scotsman Hardie and Mustapha Bundu were on amongst the goals as their side sealed a 2-1 triumph over Portsmouth.

Conceding an eye-watering total of 78 goals across 40 Championship matches to date in 2024-25, the Green Army possess the poorest defensive record in the division, however their backline was reinforced significantly during the winter with the arrivals of Nikola Katic and Maksym Talovierov.

Swansea City Championship form:

D

W

L

L

D

W

Plymouth Argyle Championship form:

L

L

W

L

D

W

Team News

Swansea remain without the services of former Birmingham City defender Kristian Pedersen, who is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign due to a hamstring injury.

The Swans' options on the flanks are further reduced by the absence of Myles Peart-Harris, with the 22-year-old recovering from a back problem.

Plymouth are also without a key man at the back in the form of Brendan Galloway, who has not featured in a competitive match since January.

January arrival Katic was forced off during the final stages of the Norwich victory on Saturday with a hamstring issue, meaning that his involvement in South Wales is in doubt.

Swansea City possible starting lineup:

Vigouroux; Key, Cabango, Darling, Delcroix, Tymon; Franco, Fulton, Pereira, O'Brien; Cullen

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Hazard; Szucs, Palsson, Pleguezuelo; Sorinola, Randell, Houghton, Mumba; Hardie, Obafemi, Bundu

We say: Swansea City 1-0 Plymouth Argyle

After victory over Derby in South Wales on the weekend, Swansea should be confident of making it back-to-back wins over a struggling Plymouth side.

Written by

Carter White

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