Leicester City have returned to winning ways thanks to a 2-1 defeat of Swansea City in Saturday's Premier League encounter at the Liberty Stadium.
The Foxes were dominant from the start and took the lead in the 25th minute when Riyad Mahrez's cutback went into the back of the net via the head of Swans defender Federico Fernandez.
Mahrez was involved in his side's second goal not long after the restart, another pullback from the Algerian finding Shinji Okazaki in the middle, and the forward made no mistake from close range.
Although Alfie Mawson halved the deficit just before the hour, Leicester held on for their first away win in the league since April and have climbed to 13th in the table.
Here is how Sports Mole covered the action at the Liberty Stadium.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of today's Premier League meeting between Swansea City and Leicester City.
The Liberty Stadium will today host to two sides in the bottom half of the Premier League table, with Paul Clement's side currently 14th in the standings and Leicester in 18th place.
The hosts go into this encounter on the back of a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town, while the Foxes drew 1-1 in their last game, against West Bromwich Albion at the King Power Stadium, but they are managerless following the sacking of Craig Shakespeare in midweek.
Without further ado, let's bring you the team news from the Liberty.
SWANSEA STARTING XI: Fabianski, Naughton, Mawson, Fernandez, Olsson, Britton, Narsingh, Carroll, Sanches, Ayew, Abraham
LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Iborra, Ndidi, Albrighton, Mahrez, Okazaki, Vardy
SWANSEA SUBS: Nordfeldt, Ki, Van der Hoorn, Dyer, Routledge, Clucas, Rangel
LEICESTER SUBS: Hamer, Chilwell, Gray, Iheanacho, King, Amartey, Slimani
Swansea boss Paul Clement has made just the one change from the XI that beat the Terriers last Saturday, with Renato Sanches having recovered from a thigh problem to replace the suspended Leroy Fer in midfield.
Ki Sung-yueng made his first appearance of the season as a substitute against Huddersfield and he will begin today on the bench again, while Wilfried Bony is ruled out due to a hamstring problem.
Interim Leicester boss Michael Appleton makes one change to the starting XI from Monday's draw with West Brom, Shinji Okazaki slotting in behind Jamie Vardy and replacing Kelechi Iheanacho in the side.
No fresh injury problems for the Foxes as the back four and the midfield remain the same, while Robert Huth and Matty James remain sidelined with ankle and Achilles problems respectively.
Swansea have blown hot and cold this season but last week's win over Huddersfield was their first in four league outings so Clement will be hoping for more of the same today against an opponent that is very much reeling.
Leicester have won just one Premier League game this term and none of the last six, leaving them languishing in 18th spot, two points from safety.
The Foxes' poor form so far this season led to the sacking of Craig Shakespeare on Tuesday, just four months into a three-year contract. This has left the club searching for their third manager in the space of eight months.
Appleton admitted that the decision to sack longtime Leicester servant Shakespeare did not go down particularly well with the players, telling a press conference: "Obviously the meeting before we went out to training was a little bit raw. People were disappointed and wanted questions answering, but I'm not the person for that. From my point of view it's all the questions that are for certain senior members and not myself. I didn't release Craig and I'm not sure of the reasons why. If there's a million and one questions thrown at me today regarding 'why this?' and 'why that?' then you're probably asking the wrong person."
Despite the disappointment over Shakespeare's sacking, Appleton insisted that his players will be inspired to get a result today: "There's no doubt about it that Craig had an incredible relationship with everybody at the football club. These players want to win games, they want to win games of football for their manager, and if what happened over the last couple of days is the motivation that they need to get the three points, then great."
Clement, meanwhile, says he will be wary of Leicester following Shakespeare's departure, telling reporters at his presser: "This is the same every week we play. We have to expect that the best are coming in our opponents. What will the reaction of the players to the news that happened this week? We have to be ready for a potential backlash or an upturn in form. We want to go for back to back wins."
Clement also addressed the form of Renato Sanches, who has yet to make a significant impact at Swansea following his loan move from Bayern Munich and starts today: "He's a really good player. It's about getting him up to speed. He's missed a lot of football and his confidence has been damaged. Fitness and the tactical side has dropped and we're picking all that up now."
HEAD TO HEAD: Swansea's 2-0 home victory in the last meeting on February 12 ended a run of four consecutive defeats for the Welsh outfit in the fixture, and proved to be Claudio Ranieri's last league match in charge of the Foxes after condemning the visitors to a fifth successive loss in the league.
Leicester's four victories in those previous encounters came with an aggregate scoreline of 11-1.
Swansea and Leicester have met 37 times in competitive fixtures, with the Swans winning 11 games, the Foxes winning 18, and eight draws.
SCORE PREDICTION: Swansea have won their last game, which will act as a confidence boost, while Leicester's players will likely be frustrated not only with their form but also the manner of their former manager's departure, but I have a feeling that both sides will cancel each other out today. A 1-1 draw for me.
Swansea have scored just five goals this season, two of which came in last week's win over Huddersfield - only Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have a worse record. Leicester, meanwhile, have a tally of ten goals - the highest in the bottom half of the Premier League table, but they've conceded 13.
Ahead today's match against @LCFC, we remember all those who lost their lives in the #Aberfan disaster.
We will never forget them. pic.twitter.com/gh5U5t9mqU — Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) 21 October 2017
KICKOFF! Michael Oliver is today's referee and he gets the action underway.
CHANCE! So close to an early breakthrough for the visitors as an attack down the right flank sees the ball eventually worked to Okazaki, who thumps a header towards goal, but Fabianski has it covered.
Leicester have seen the majority of the ball so far but Swansea are putting them under pressure, playing a pressing game.
Britton weighs in with a crunching tackle on Okazaki, not allowing the striker any space to run into. I can see a tight encounter here.
CHANCE! Another great opportunity for Leicester as Okazaki gets to the right-hand byline and cuts the ball back to Albrighton, who has a go from just inside the area but Fabianski makes a great one-handed stop to tip it over the bar!
Another timely intervention from Swansea as Fernandez charges down Albrighton's drilled effort from the left-hand side of the area.
BOOKING: We have our first yellow of the game as Fuchs is cautioned for pulling back Narsingh.
Swansea win a free kick near the left-hand touchline which Sanches whips in but Schmeichel is there to punch the ball clear.
CHANCE! Leicester break and get up the pitch swiftly, with Vardy connecting well from 25 yards out with a shot which Fabianski turns behind for a corner.
Yet more pressure from the visitors as Simpson curls a ball in from the right for Ndidi, who doesn't connect properly at the far post but a goalmouth scramble ensues which sees the ball out for a corner.
CHANCE! Now it's Swansea's turn to threaten as a corner is swung in from the right and although it just misses Abraham, it almost ends up in the back of the net via Morgan at the far post, but Schmeichel has it covered.
CHANCE! Another good effort from the hosts as a ball from the left is fired goalwards by Abraham but the Leicester keeper saves at his near post.
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-1 LEICESTER (FEDERICO FERNANDEZ OG)
We have the breakthrough at the Liberty Stadium and it goes the way of the visitors as Mahrez drills a ball into the box and it takes a deflection off the head of Swansea defender Fernandez which Fabianski cannot keep from going into the net!
There will certainly be some debate about that opener as replays seem to show that the ball had actually gone over the line for a goal kick before being whipped into the box by Mahrez.
Sanches has a pop from range but his effort is way off the mark, sailing high and wide of the Leicester goal.
Naughton goes for goal from the right-hand edge of the area and forces a corner as Maguire puts it behind, Carroll delivers and Narsingh gets onto the ball on the byline to send a cross in but Schmeichel eventually claims following a deflection off Simpson.
Leicester seem to have taken the foot off the gas as this half edges closer towards its close but Swansea have stepped up their game. Will there be another goal, or key moment, in the next five or so minutes?
Sanches does well to turn his man and set up Ayew, who wins a corner, but the Portuguese youngster's set piece ends up all the way across to the other end of the pitch where it eventually goes behind for a Swansea throw-in.
We have one minute of stoppage time here at the Liberty Stadium.
HALF TIME: SWANSEA 0-1 LEICESTER
Half time and Swansea are a goal down to Leicester, who have been good value for their lead.
Marc Albrighton, Wilfried Ndidi and Jamie Vardy all had efforts saved from Lukasz Fabianski, with the breakthrough coming on 25 minutes via an own goal, Federico Fernandez heading into the back of his own net after Riyad Mahrez crossed out wide - although it appeared that the ball had actually crossed the line before being whipped into the box.
Swansea have enjoyed several decent forays into Leicester's final third but have not been able to truly test Kasper Schmeichel, with both Tammy Abraham and Renato Sanches very much sub-par in the opening 45 minutes.
So far it's been a good debut for Appleton in the (interim) Leicester hotseat, with Leicester playing like the Foxes of old, Vardy and Okazaki causing Swansea problems with their pace on the counter, but they will need to create more chances and be more clinical if they are to kill this game off.
HALF TIME STATS: Possession in the first half was evenly split down the middle at 50% apiece. Both sides have also had six shots, but Swansea only mustered one on target compared to Leicester's four, while the hosts enjoyed four corners to the visitors' three. As for total passes, it's also almost even, with Swansea completing 238 and Leicester 242.
11 - Since the start of 2015/16, Swansea have scored 11 own-goals in the Premier League, more than twice as many as any other side. Gaffe. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 21 October 2017
KICKOFF: Swansea get us underway for the second half, with one change at the break, Leon Britton coming off and Ki Sung-yeung coming on for the hosts.
Leicester quickest out of the starting blocks as Ndidi threads the ball through the Swans defence to Vardy but the offside flag gets raised to put a stop to the move.
Swansea win a free kick as Ayew makes headway down the right and is brought down by Albrighton but Carroll cannot beat the first man.
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-2 LEICESTER (SHINJI OKAZAKI)
Leicester back to their counterattacking best as Albrighton lofts a pass over the top to Mahrez, who pulls back for Okazaki to rifle home from three yards out. The Swansea players are appealing for offside, but the goal stands. Another controversial crucial moment in the game?
The replays seem to show that Mahrez was marginally onside, so it looks like the ref's assistant got the decision right.
Swansea are beginning to look panicky as Narsingh cuts in from the right wing and shanks an effort high over the bar.
GOAL! SWANSEA 1-2 LEICESTER CITY (ALFIE MAWSON)
Swansea have halved the deficit and are right back in the game! Sanches's corner is flicked on by Ayew at the near post and Mawson does well to swivel towards goal and fire into the far bottom corner of the net!
SUBSTITUTION: Swansea make their second change of the game with Nathan Dyer on for Luciano Narsingh.
Abraham is in pain after heading over the bar and goes down clutching his leg, causing concern on the Swansea bench, but after some treatment he gets up and looks good to continue.
Leicester win a free kick in a dangerous position out wide after Olsson brings down Mahrez, the Algerian's delivery finds Maguire at the far post and ends up winning a corner.
Naughton cuts in from the right flank and lines up to take a shot but the effort is blazed over the bar.
SUBSTITUTION: Appleton makes his first change of the game and it's a defensive one as Andy King replaces Shinji Okazaki.
Yet another pot-shot from Swansea as Ki has a go from range but once again it's well over.
Leicester have sought to take the sting out of the game after Mawson's goal, restricting their opponents to tentative shots from range, but Swansea continue to push forward in search of an equaliser.
Swansea clumsily concede possession to King in a dangerous area, but the Foxes man's cutback cannot find a teammate in the middle.
CHANCES! Fabianski keeps his side in the game after Mahrez threads the ball through to Vardy, the Polish stopper keeping out the striker's one-on-one effort before Mahrez tries his luck on the rebound from just outside the box but cannot beat the keeper.
SUBSTITUTION: Renato Sanches cuts a forlorn figure as he heads off the pitch to be replaced by Wayne Routledge in the hosts' third and final change.
Just ten minutes plus stoppage time to go as Swansea continue to push forward in search of an equaliser but leaving huge gaps at the back that Leicester are hoping to exploit.
Iborra deflects Ayew's shot behind for a corner, but the Foxes defence holds firm to head the danger clear.
Ayew, like many Swansea players before him this afternoon, decides to have a go from distance and although it's on target, it's bread and butter for Schmeichel.
SUBSTITUTION: Riyad Mahrez's shift is over, and an impressive one it was too, as Demarai Gray comes on in his place.
CHANCES! End-to-end stuff here as the Swans launch forward and Ayew finds Routledge, but the sub's driven effort hits the side netting, and from the restart, Leicester maraud forward, only for King to blast over from the edge of the area!
The fourth official announces four extra minutes to play at the end of the second half.
Leicester are now trying to run down the clock while Swansea frantically search for a late equaliser, Carroll bears down on goal but smashes an effort over the bar.
FULL TIME: SWANSEA CITY 1-2 LEICESTER CITY
That's the full time whistle and it's a winning start for Michael Appleton in the Leicester City hotseat, with a Federico Fernandez own goal and a Shinji Okazaki strike from close range proving enough to beat Swansea City, who could not go on to find an equaliser after Alfie Mawson had halved the deficit.
The result sees Leicester climb all the way up to 13th place in the Premier League table, with Swansea slipping down to 15th in the standings.
That's all we've got time for here at the Liberty Stadium but don't go anywhere as Sports Mole is on hand to bring you the match report from this game and all other Premier League games, as well as the latest post-match reactions from players and managers, and of course the latest news from the world of football. Thank you for following and, until next time, goodbye.
Written by
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte
