English Premier
2011-09-17 - Swansea vs West Brom
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football : English Premier League
Saturday 17 September 2011 - Kickoff 3pm
Swansea
The newly promoted side are yet to score a goal in the Premier League as the harsh reality of life at the top begins to hit home in the first month of the new season. Brendan Rodgers will return to manage the side after missing the game against Arsenal to return home as his mother had unfortunately passed away.
Swansea were one of the favourites for relegation at the beginning of the season, and there has not been a lot to get people to change their minds so far. The team is 19th in the Premier League having secured 2 points from their opening 4 games, with both points being picked up with 0-0 home draws.
The Swans may have picked up some confidence from their latest game, a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, as they deserved a little more from the game but missed some chances. This lack of ruthlessness in front of goal is going to cost them a place in the top flight unless they can rectify the issues soon. They have not scored in any of their 5 games in all competitions this season, their sole goal being an own goal in the 3-1 loss at Shrewsbury. Swansea are unbeaten in their last 11 League games at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea have not been allowed clearance to play Darnel Situ or Rafik Halliche who were both signed on transfer deadline day but did not have all the papers completed in time. Steven Caulker was injured last week and there is no timescale on his return, but Garry Monk could make his first start of the season. Kemy Agustien and Craig Beattie are both absent through injury.
West Brom
Roy Hodgson picked up his first win of the season last week at Norwich City, but he will not have been too worried about the lack of points the side had accumulated considering the fixtures the Baggies had been given in facing Manchester United, Chelsea and Stoke City.
West Brom moved up to 13th in the Premier League last week as they recorded their first 3 points of the season and improved their record to 1-0-3 after a tough start. The Baggies are 1-0-1 away from home this season, scoring 2 goals and conceding 2 goals and they also beat Bournemouth on their travels in the Carling Cup.
The big criticism of Roy Hodgson was the fact his sides, be it Fulham or Liverpool, really struggled to win games away from home. It is not often he can be said to be trying to win back to back away games, but it is something he has managed to do with West Brom already in his short time at the club when beating Birmingham and Sunderland in March/April last season. West Brom have lost just 2 of their last 8 away games in the Premier League.
Gabriel Tamas is suspended after he was found guilty of violent conduct by the FA for his elbow on James Vaughan last week. Chris Brunt is a big doubt for the away side, but Zoltan Gera is winning his battle for fitness. Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie will both be hoping to get their opportunity to start.
Head to Head
Swansea and West Brom last met in the 2009/10 Championship season with both sides winning their away games.
West Brom won the game at the Liberty Stadium 0-2.
Prediction
Swansea have played some good football since coming into the Premier League, but they look to be seriously lacking in the final third to really make a fist of staying up in the top flight. They have pace with the likes Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer, but without someone who can put the ball in the net, life is going to be difficult.
The home side may not have lost at home this season, but they have been a little fortunate with Wigan missing a penalty and Sunderland missing some real chances in their game too.
West Brom are unlikely to be so generous and will have the confidence they can beat another newly promoted side after winning at Norwich last week. The key difference for West Brom is that they have the likes of Odemwingie and Long that can score goals and that could be the difference again in this game.
Roy Hodgson sides have not been known for winning away games, but they have won back to back League games on their travels since he took over at the Hawthornes and are a much tougher team in away games.
At the prices, the 2-1 on West Brom to win looks vastly inflated, especially with Swansea's problems in front of goal, and I will have a small interest on the away side.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Swansea 1-2 West Brom
