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Preview: Swansea City vs. Leicester City

Sports Mole previews the first ever top-division meeting between Swansea City and Leicester City, who meet in the Premier League at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Swansea City and Leicester City will contest their first ever top-flight meeting when the Foxes travel to the Liberty Stadium for Saturday's evening kickoff.

The Welsh outfit were barely surviving in the lower divisions while Leicester were enjoying a six-year run in the Premier League at the end of the 20th century.

The Swans have since gone on a remarkable journey which saw them almost bypass a Leicester side slipping alarmingly in the other direction on their way to consolidating themselves in the big time.

They have faced each other only four times in the league - the Championship - and once in the FA Cup, during the past 28 years, with the Midlanders having won on three occasions to Swansea's two.

Both are in need of victory this weekend as they try to regain some of the early-season momentum lost by neither of them having tasted success during October, with Swansea winless in five matches in total.

Three straight wins from the start of the season seem a long time ago now for Swans boss Garry Monk, whose frustration boiled over in the aftermath of their 2-1 defeat to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

The 35-year-old faces an FA charge after describing referee Michael Olivier's award of a first-half penalty to the Potters as a "disgusting decision", moments after accusing Victor Moses of 'cheating' to win the spot kick.

Wilfried Bony had previously scored from the spot for Swansea and will continue up front this weekend, despite having not yet matched the form of last season which saw him net 16 Premier League goals.

Monk is not likely to rush into changes elsewhere either as he attempts to rediscover a winning formula, although Jonjo Shelvey should return in place of Tom Carroll in midfield after serving a suspension.

Jordi Amat, Leon Britton, Ashley Richards and Dwight Tiendalli are missing for the hosts, but Leicester manager Nigel Pearson has only Matthew Upson unavailable in an otherwise fully-fit squad.

Winger Riyad Mahrez may return after sitting out the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United, while Jamie Vardy is also in contention for a recall to a forward line that will be spearheaded by five-goal striker Leonardo Ulloa.

Swansea are eighth in the table with 11 points from eight games, with Leicester seven places below them.

Recent form

Swansea: LDDLLW

Leicester: LDLWWD

Possible starting lineups

Swansea: Fabianski; Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Shelvey, Ki; Dyer, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Bony

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Moore, Konchesky; Cambiasso, Hammond, Drinkwater; Mahrez, Vardy, Ulloa

Sports Mole says: 2-1


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Diego Costa of Chelsea celebrates as he scores their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on August 23, 2014
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1Leeds UnitedLeeds38257670284282
2Leicester CityLeicester37264774334182
3Ipswich TownIpswich38249580493181
4Southampton36227773472673
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom381991059362366
6Norwich CityNorwich381871369541561
7Hull City371610115346758
8Coventry CityCoventry3715121059431657
9Preston North EndPreston37168134954-556
10Middlesbrough38166165352154
11Cardiff CityCardiff38165174351-853
12Sunderland38146184845348
13Watford381212145351248
14Bristol City38138174245-347
15Swansea CitySwansea381210164858-1046
16Millwall381110173650-1443
17Blackburn RoversBlackburn38119185164-1342
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth381011175462-841
19Stoke CityStoke38118193553-1841
20Queens Park RangersQPR381010183650-1440
21Birmingham CityBirmingham38109194259-1739
22Huddersfield TownHuddersfield38815154261-1939
23Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds38115223061-3138
24Rotherham UnitedRotherham38311243077-4720

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