Gary Monk’s Swansea continue to impress on all fronts and this will be a perfect opportunity for them to win the fifth successive match against Newcastle United. The Magpies are completely out of confidence having failed to record a win in first six matches and the fans’ protests against Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew are definitely not helping the team’s cause.

Bright start to the season

Former club captain Gary Monk proved his coaching credentials by steering the Swans away from the danger zone last term, earning the trust of his players as well as the club board. And with few more quality players arriving at Liberty Stadium in the summer and fitting right into the tried and tested system, Swansea were able to hit the ground running immediately, proving a real threat up front in addition to keeping the back line rock solid. The Swans may be on a three-match winless run in the league, but there is no cause for concern, since the unlucky loss to Southampton was followed by the 3-0 League Cup triumph over Everton, while the goalless draw at the Stadium of Light further cemented their place in the top half of the table. Swansea can now be expected to enjoy a lion’s share of possession against out-of-sorts Newcastle United, and their wing players Routledge and Dyer will run circles around the visiting defenders, with Ki, Shelvey and Sigurdsson supplying them with useful passes. Wilfried Bony’s first goal of the campaign is long overdue, but it is only a matter of time before he rediscovers his scoring touch.

Angel Rangel is banned, but Wilfried Bony returns from suspension. Leon Britton, Jordi Amat and Rory Donnelly are out injured.

Shocking results and performances

For the first time in a while it looked as though Newcastle have done a good job in a summer transfer window, having recruited a number of quality players, but new signings have struggled to make an impact so far. With the atmosphere around the club at an all time low, Alan Pardew and his men were not exactly able to fully focus on the pitch, while things continue to worsen as the Magpies seem unable to end the barren run of results. Newcastle are now winless in six Premier League games and tied on points with rock-bottom Burnley, while the extra time win over Crystal Palace in the League Cup did little to improve the players’ spirits. The fans are still calling for both Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew to resign, while also losing patience for the team’s poor performances. Given the circumstances, Newcastle won’t be too happy facing in-form Swansea side on the road, especially having lost seven of last eight away matches in the Premier League, scoring just one goal in the process.

Ryan Taylor is closing in on his return, but Rolando Aarons, Siem de Jong and Davide Santon remain on the sidelines.

Verdict

Swansea have been showing incredible consistency this season and the well balanced squad is looking quite impressive at the moment, winning four of five home matches this term. Meanwhile, Newcastle are all over the place, completely out of confidence and far from the desired form, so I fully expect their poor run to continue at Liberty Stadium.

Top pick: Home win   1.91 (10/11) @ William Hill

Alternative pick 1: Newcastle not to score   2.50 (3/2) @ SkyBet

Alternative pick 2: Swansea to win to nil   3.20 (11/5) @ BetVictor