Swansea City will face newly promoted Newcastle United next who look to have found their lost form as they went into the international break with a thumping win over West Ham United.
The Swans have had some surprising arrivals this summer and they have started to make an impact already although Paul Clement wouldn’t state their start to the campaign as decent. Apart from the heavy loss against Manchester United, which saw them concede four goals, Clement’s side has been quite coherent and are expected to only improve with time. Here is how he might line his troops for the clash against the Magpies
Predicted 3-5-2 Swansea City Line-up vs Newcastle United
Defence
The position under the bar is likely to be taken by Lukasz Fabianski. The Polish international had a nightmarish season last campaign where he conceded a whopping 70 goals. And it is interesting that the manager has still kept his trust on the shot-stopper, who has proved his composure in pressure situations.
However, we expect his back line to remain more intact. The three-man defence has fared well for Clement against Crystal Palace and he is expected to stick with it, for now. The three centre halves- Alfie Mawson, Federico Fernandez and Mike van der Hoorn- are expected to start after an organized display last game. The backline has youth and experience blended well and could strike the perfect balance in the long run.
The Swans have done brilliantly to hold on to young Mawson this summer, as the promising English defender could really be the future of the club.
Midfield
The main idea of having a five-man midfield was to dominate the opponent tremendously into submitting the ball every time Swansea lost it. And the congested midfield did that extremely well against a struggling side. The Mags aren’t really at the peak of their form and could be susceptible to such pressure.
However, since the last two weeks, Clement has had a massive upgrade in that area and is expected to come out against Newcastle United with full force. The trio of Leroy Fer, Sam Clucas and Tom Carroll were brilliant last game and new arrival Roque Mesa was the only good option on the bench.
This game we expect them to start with their latest loan arrival Renato Sanches replacing Carroll in the midfield. While Mesa will also have to be given more game time, Clucas’ last performance was unpindownable. Hence, we expect him to start from the bench.
The wing backs should remain the same with Kyle Naughton and Martin Olsson.
Attack
It will be unfair to replace an inform Andre Ayew with an inconsistent Wilfried Bony. The new arrival will start from the bench with new fan favourite Tammy Abraham starting.
Here is how they might line up:
