Swansea vs Tottenham

Well, thanks to Mr Waley-Cohen, the bankroll is at £1151.72. Although, I am now on Long run for the Gold cup at a whopping 11/4. The extra two furlongs and Cheltenham track will definitely suit.

And now back to some Premiership action......

Swansea vs Tottenham Hotspur

On Saturday, the Liberty Stadium hosts third placed Tottenham as they take on home side Swansea City. This is an important clash for both teams as Spurs will be looking to continue their momentum in the title chase. Swansea meanwhile, will want to end a series of results that has seen them win just once in their last eight league games.

Swansea

Swansea City are likely to set up with a compact 4-5-1 where they can defend in numbers and attack with width.  This organised approach has been one of the key factors behind a record that has seen them concede just three goals in nine home games. Furthermore, the impressive form of their goalkeeper, Michael Vorm, has turned the Liberty Stadium into an unlikely fortress for the newly promoted Swansea. This season, only Manchester United have been able to take maximum points from a trip to the Liberty.

Swansea have gained admirers for their approach to the game and the possession football that they prefer to play. Conversely, this indirect approach allows opposing teams to effectively organise against Swansea defensively meaning they have often struggled for goals, scoring just one in their last three games.

Spurs

Tottenham, on the other hand, play an expansive version of the 4-5-1 formation. In their recent fixture against Norwich, Gareth Bale was encouraged to play in a more central role, resulting in an informal 4-3-3 set up.

Gareth Bale was an instant beneficiary of this new approach as he scored a brace, resulting in a 2-0 win for Spurs. However, before we get carried away with Spurs attacking capabilities, they have only scored five in their last four Premiership clashes.  They have missed the pace of Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Defoe in the forward line. Their absence leaves more emphasis on Bale, which no doubt resulted in him being handed the central role he thrived on against Norwich.

Additionally, Spurs have tightened up defensively in recent games, achieving four clean sheets in their last seven league matches.

If we consider the factors outlined above and envisage how the two sides will deal with their opponents, I can see it being a midfield battle where possession is key. It will not be a high scoring affair but I would have thought the quality of the Spurs midfield will edge the clash. Unfortunately, at a best price of 8/11, they don’t provide any significant value to beat a stubborn Swansea City side.

Selection

3 points on Under 2.5 goals @Evens with Stan James