With both the clubs desperately looking to escape the relegation zone, it will be a tight match when Swansea host Sunderland. Although both the teams have started terribly this season, they have had their individual sparks at times and it is those players, who will be hugely responsible for the outcome of this match.
Leroy Fer vs Jan Kirchhoff
Fer has become a quintessential player for Swansea this season and now that they are battling relegation, Bob Bradley is relying highly on the Dutch midfielder to pull them out from the mess. In his 13 appearances, Fer has scored 6 goals and has created 5 for his teammates. He has completed 422 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 81%, of which 69% were forward passes.
Sunderland got a huge boost when their star recruit, Jan Kirchhoff, finally returned to the first team. He has appeared 5 times so far and has already bagged an assist. He has completed 93 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 71%, of which 99% were forward passes and wins 40% of his average duels. Most importantly, though, it’ll be his shielding ability which will count come Saturday.
Gylfi Sigurdsson vs Lamine Kone
Sigurdsson has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise dull Swansea side. He has started every league match for the club and the boss has now deployed the 27-year-old attacking midfielder as a false 9.
The seasoned Iceland international has immense experience in the Premier league and has already scored 4 goals this season, created 19 chances and provided 4 assists. He has completed 267 passes with a pass accuracy of 76%, of which 70% were forward passes.
Sunderland will have Lamine Kone covering Sigurdsson. Although Kone didn’t start the game as was expected from him after his brilliant display last season that saved Sunderland from relegation, he is getting back the touch and regular gameplay is helping him. He has won 11 tackles this season with a success rate of 58%. He has made 17 interceptions, 87 clearances and 5 blocks.
Jermain Defoe vs Van der Hoorn
Defoe has been the only saving grace in the attack for Sunderland this season. Even when the Black Cats went 10 games without a win, in the beginning, he was consistent in ticking the scoresheet. In his 14 appearances, he has scored 8 goals and provided 2 assists. He has a shot accuracy of 58%, which is better than most low-table club strikers.
Van der Hoorn hasn’t been the most regular of defenders at Swansea but he seems to have won Bradley’s trust now. He has been disciplined lately. In his 6 appearances, he has won five tackles this season with a success rate of 28%, making 16 interceptions, 49 clearances and six blocks.
