Welsh rivals Swansea City and Cardiff City will do battle for the first time since 2014 when the two sides meet at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday.
Both teams will be desperate for a win after mixed starts to their Championship campaigns, but this specific game has a level of importance that transcends three points.
Match preview
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Swansea head into this game at a difficult time for the club, with Steve Cooper's side only managing one win from their last eight fixtures.
Their performance during 3-0 home defeat to Brentford last weekend served as an example of how this Swansea team can still look somewhat lost under their new manager, who replaced Graham Potter over the summer.
Moreover, the result took the Swans from third place to seventh in the Championship, with the South Wales club now sitting in ninth position.
However, this piece of bad form, which followed a good run that saw Swansea go eight games unbeaten to start off the season, has only left Cooper's men two points behind second-placed Leeds United - a notion that highlights just how competitive the Championship can be.
As they welcome Cardiff to the Liberty for the first time in this division since 2011, Swansea will know that three points against their most bitter rivals could have a galvanising effect on their form.
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If Swansea's pattern of results this season are indicative of a recent managerial change, Cardiff's recent run of form illustrates a base level of performance engendered by Neil Warnock, who has been at the club since 2016.
The Bluebirds occupy 13th position, four points behind their Welsh rivals, but their performances of late have indicated that perhaps they ought to be higher in the table.
Following two defeats in their opening three Championship games, Cardiff have only lost once, drawing six of their last 10 league outings.
It could be said that this mixture of aversion towards defeat and inability to claim all three points is emblematic of Warnock overseeing a team that brings plenty of organisation but perhaps lacks a level of invention to their play.
As they prepare for their biggest away game of the season, Cardiff players will understand that holding firm against Swansea will not be enough to satisfy their supporters, who have only seen their team win at the Liberty on one occasion since 1997.
Recent Swansea City form: LDWLDL
Recent Cardiff City form: WDWLDD
Team News
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Both teams head into this game boasting comparatively light injury records, with just three players in total unavailable ahead of Sunday's clash.
For Swansea, Aldo Kalulu is ruled out of the game due to an ankle problem from which he will not recover for at least a few more weeks.
Warnock looks set to be without key defender Matthew Connolly, who also has an ankle injury, although he is expected to return soon.
Striker Isaac Vassell, on the other hand, looks likely to be out for another month due to a thigh issue.
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Naughton, Rodon, Van Der Hoorn, Bidwell; Grimes, Carroll; Ayew, Byers, Celina; Surridge
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Flint, Bennett; Ralls, Pack; Whyte, Tomlin, Hoilett; Glatzel
We say: Swansea City 1-1 Cardiff City
In the white heat of a local derby, with both teams going at each other with optimal aggression, it is often the case that both sides cancel each other out. We suspect that this will be the case during what promises to be a loud but scrappy affair between two sides who will be desperate to avoid a derby defeat.
Leo Nieboer
