Prediction: Swansea vs Chelsea

Having failed to win any of their last three Premier League fixtures, Swansea are in need of a morale-boosting result, with the Swans bracing themselves for the visit of leaders Chelsea. The Blues finally returned to winning ways as they recorded a hard-fought victory over Newcastle, and they now hope to extend the winning run at Liberty Stadium.

Swansea have established themselves as a genuine top table side over the years and inexperienced manager Gary Monk has done surprisingly well since taking over the reigns. He has put together a very good squad ahead of the current season and the Swans in turn never left the top half of the Premiership standings. The club have now stayed without star striker Wilfried Bony as they just could not resist a big money offer from Manchester City, but that does not have to be a bad thing as former Lyon star Bafetimbi Gomis will finally get a chance to shine. The Frenchman will obviously need some time to rediscover his scoring touch despite bagging a brace in the FA Cup clash against Tranmere Rovers, meaning the Swans could again experience problems up front. Numerous injuries have been the main reason for the dip in form of star player Gylfi Sigurdsson, and we all know how important he is for team’s build-up play. And with Jonjo Shelvey serving the final game of his four-match ban, Swansea will probably struggle to break rock-solid Chelsea on Saturday afternoon. Important midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng is away on international duty, while Jefferson Montero is a fitness doubt.

Following the Boxing Day win over West Ham, it looked as though Chelsea were the main candidates for the Premier League trophy, but the Blues would soon experience the ill-effects of the busy festive schedule. While they could only muster a 1-1 draw with Southampton at St Mary’s, Jose Mourinho’s charges were hammered by Harry Kane inspired Tottenham at White Hart Lane, which saw their advantage over holders Manchester City evaporate. Therefore, the home clash against Newcastle was extremely important for the Blues and while they suffered from nerves early on, Chelsea ended up recording a very important win, before having another reason to celebrate as City conceded a late equalizer at Merseyside. The Stamford Brigde outfit are now set to face very good Swansea side at Liberty Stadium, but this is definitely the right time to be playing the Welsh team, given the absence of several important players and the rough patch they are going through at the moment. Jose Mourinho will have Thibaut Courtois available for selection, but Cesar Azpilicueta is definitely out with a groin problem.

Conclusion

Swansea are not only without Bony and Montero, but key midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is struggling for form, so I just cannot see them frustrating Chelsea. The Blues restored some of the lost confidence by defeating Newcastle and they appear to have too much quality for the Swans at the moment.

Verdict: Away win Chelsea (2)

Best Odds: 5/9

Bookmaker: bet365