Swansea City v Everton: Premier League – live! via The Guardian
5.15pm BST
Ronald Koeman also speaks, and aims a shot across the bows of Ross Barkley. “We have a small chance to catch Arsenal in sixth. It is possible if we win this game. We will be playing against a diamond, and always I like to control the game, so that’s the reason Gareth Barry is in. Ross Barkley is on the bench. We need more productivity from the midfielders and the strikers, so that’s the position of Kevin Mirallas.”
5.10pm BST
Paul Clement speaks in the wake of Hull City’s defeat. “We spoke about the implications of whatever kind of result came in from Hull. Whether they won, drew or lost, it was still important that we won, so that’s the mentality we will use today, and in the next game against Sunderland, and the last game against West Brom. Take care of our business, and if we do that, especially now, we’ll be in a very good position. What I’m most pleased about going into this game is that, having won all three points against Stoke, we followed that up with a very good performance against Manchester United. We know our form is good. Stephen Kingsley did very well in our last two games, but Martin Olsson offers a little more offensively and as we’re playing at home that’s why he’s in the team.”
4.57pm BST
A huge boost for Swansea ahead of this game! Already-relegated Sunderland have won 2-0 at Hull City; bang goes Tigers manager Marco Silva’s long unbeaten home run, a sequence stretching all the way back to March 2014 when his Estoril side hosted, and were defeated by, Rio Ave in Portugal’s Primera Liga. What a time to lose that proud record! Hull are in serious bother now. Swansea can leapfrog them tonight if they beat Everton, escaping the relegation zone in the process, and shoving Hull back into it. Swansea will be a point and at least five goals better off if they manage it. Rob Smyth, wearing his Clocko hat, has all the latest.
Related:
Hull v Sunderland, Leicester v Watford and more: clockwatch – live!
4.41pm BST
The Swans make one change to the XI sent out at Old Trafford last weekend ahead of that very creditable 1-1 draw with Manchester United. Martin Olsson steps up in place of Stephen Kingsley.
The Toffees make two changes to the starting line-up named for the 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea last Sunday. Gareth Barry and Kevin Mirallas are in; Enner Valencia and Ross Barkley drop to the bench.
4.32pm BST
Swansea City: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Ki, Britton, Carroll, Sigurdsson, Ayew, Llorente.
Subs: Amat, Fer, Borja Baston, Nordfeldt, Cork, Narsingh, Kingsley.
Everton: Stekelenburg, Holgate, Jagielka, A Williams, Baines, Gana, Barry, Davies, Calvert-Lewin, Lukaku, Mirallas.
Subs: Robles, Barkley, Valencia, Lookman, Pennington, Kenny, J Williams.
10.42am BST
Swansea City looked down and out. Their honeymoon under Paul Clement appeared to be well and truly over. The brief revival they’d staged under the new manager had skittered to a halt, as they embarked on a six-match streak composing five losses and a 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough.
A 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough. The dying Swans. But all of a sudden, renewed hope! A solid 2-0 win over Stoke was followed by an impressive point at Manchester United, and the revival was revived. Swansea looked down and out all right. But now the great escape is back on!
It’s still touch and go, and they desperately need to win here this evening. Three points are essential for survival, and they’ll be forgiven for thinking Everton may oblige. That’s because recent results between the two sides are very much in their favour: Swansea are unbeaten in six, having won at Goodison Park last January then come within a minute of another deserved victory at the Grand Old Lady in November.
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