Hello and welcome to
Sports Mole's live text coverage of this afternoon's Premier League encounter between
Swansea City and
Manchester United at the Liberty Stadium. The hosts start the day having failed to win their last two league games, while the visitors can stretch their unbeaten run to five matches. Team news should be through shortly.
SWANSEA: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Cork, Shelvey, Ki, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Gomis
SWANSEA SUBS: Tremmel, Rangel, Amat, Britton, Montero, Emnes, Oliveira
Following on from their 2-0 defeat away to West Bromwich Albion last time out, Swansea boss Garry Monk has made two changes to his starting lineup this afternoon. Wayne Routledge and Gylfi Sigurdsson both return, while Nathan Dyer and Jefferson Montero are the men who make way.
MAN UTD: De Gea; McNair, Jones, Rojo; Shaw, Blind, Fellaini, Herrera, Di Maria; Rooney, van Persie
MAN UTD SUBS: Valdes, Smalling, Januzaj, Mata, Valencia, Young, Falcao
Meanwhile, Man Utd manager Louis van Gaal has opted for three changes after seeing his side beat Preston North End 3-1 in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday. Robin van Persie returns to the side following a spell on the sidelines, while Phil Jones and Paddy McNair also come in. Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling and Radamel Falcao all drop to the bench.
Right, let's get down to business. Man Utd will be eager to pick up the three points this afternoon in order to keep their push for a top-four finish alive. The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions, with four of those results coming in the Premier League. They last tasted defeat on January 11 when they were beaten 1-0 at home by Southampton.
While Man Utd have been quietly putting together a solid run of form, Swansea have been fairly inconsistent over the past few weeks. The Welsh side have won just one of their last six fixtures in all competitions. In terms of their league form, Garry Monk's men have slipped down to ninth place in the standings. The hosts will be well aware that today's game won't be easy, but they'll need to start picking up points if they want to avoid their season petering out.
Swansea defender Neil Taylor: "We're still ninth in the Premier League table, still in a healthy position. But hopefully we can turn it around, go again and put a smile on faces. At home, the Swansea I've known down the years, we can beat anybody on their day if we play well. We should be bang up for it anyway.
"In the easy bread and butter games we've got to go and get results. Man Utd [coming] to Swansea is still a bonus game, how we see it. From the first year we came up if we can get results against those teams, it's a bonus."
Man Utd manager Louis van Gaal: "I am never happy. You never can play the perfect match, but I think we can play better than we show now.
"The main thing is to win, not to lose and we score fantastic goals that we have practised in training, but the most important thing is the spirit of the team. We have shown a lot of times this year this spirit and that is attractive to the fans."
Today's fixtures in the Premier League are a reverse of the opening day of the season, and Swansea caused a big shock back in August when they defeated Man Utd 2-1 at Old Trafford in Louis van Gaal's first game in charge.
Ki Sung-yueng and Gylfi Sigurdsson were both on the scoresheet for the Swans that day, while Wayne Rooney replied for Man Utd. It seems like a long time ago now, but it would be surprising if Van Gaal and his players were not thinking a little bit about gaining some revenge.
Last season's fixture at the Liberty Stadium also held some significance because it was David Moyes's first game in charge of Man Utd. The Red Devils earned a comfortable 4-1 victory that day, only for their season to unravel pretty quickly after that.
Swansea boss Garry Monk: "There are weaknesses in all teams but in the bigger teams there are fewer weaknesses. You have to identify them and work to a plan to take advantage of that.
"We have to be right up there performance-wise if we are to exploit weaknesses. We have to get back to it now, we have been good for most of the 25 games and some of our recent performances have been good. But the consistency has not been there over the last four or five weeks and we want performance levels to be more of a straight line rather than up or down."
HEAD TO HEAD: Man Utd have the superior record when it comes to past meetings between these teams, winning 11 games compared to Swansea's eight. There have also been a total of five draws since they first faced each other nearly 100 years ago.
There's been little to separate these sides down the years, something that's reflected in the last six games that they've played against each other. Man Utd have won three of those, while Swansea have come out on top twice. Both of those wins for the Welsh side came at Old Trafford, including that victory on the opening day of the season.
Looking at the respective benches for this afternoon's game, Man Utd certainly have a fair bit of quality to call on if they need to. Juan Mata, Adnan Januzaj, Ashley Young and Radamel Falcao are all there, waiting for their chance to impress the manager. Swansea don't have quite as much talent among their subs, but the likes of Jefferson Montero and Marvin Emnes certainly have enough to cause the away side's defence a few problems.
PREDICTION TIME: Today's match could be pretty tight because Swansea have a knack of turning it on against the so-called bigger sides. Garry Monk is sure to have his players fired up inside the dressing room, and he will be asking for no less than 100% from them this afternoon. Man Utd manager Louis van Gaal will not need to tell his side what is expected of them. The United players know that a victory is expected of them. That said, the away team's added quality, including their star-studded bench, could just see them over the line by the odd goal.
One or two of the players are starting to emerge in the tunnel at the Liberty Stadium as we edge closer towards kickoff. Not long to go now. There are plenty of fans packed into the ground, as you might expect with Man Utd in town.
Here come the teams! Ashley Williams leads the Swansea players out, while Wayne Rooney heads the Man Utd lineup.
KICKOFF! The teams are out, the pre-match handshakes have been done, and it will be Man Utd to get us underway. Here we go!
It's been a positive start from the visitors, who are keeping the ball well. It looks like Rooney is playing as more of an attacker today, but whether it will stay like that remains to be seen. An early ball is pumped into the Swansea box by Herrera, but Fabianski comes off his line to collect.
OFF THE LINE! So close for Swansea, who see Gomis's effort from a corner cleared off the line. The striker flings himself at the ball, but Herrera does brilliantly to hack it away. That chance came moments after the visitors conceded a corner after giving the ball away deep inside their own half.
We've only had a few minutes played, but this is shaping up to be a pretty open game. Herrera is involved again as his incisive pass sets Di Maria free down the left. the Argentine whips a dangerous cross into the Swansea box, only for the hosts to clear the threat.
CHANCE! Swansea threaten again from a corner as Ki's flick-on is met by Gomis, but the Frenchman somehow heads over from close range. He really should have done better there. Man Utd really haven't been able to deal with Swansea from set pieces.
Both sides are really struggling to keep hold of the ball at the moment. The passing has deteriorated quite dramatically, with both sets of players finding it hard to pick out their teammates. Di Maria is given a bit of space again out on the left wing, but again his cross is straight into the hands of Fabianski.
Something of a half-chance for the visitors as an inswinging free kick from Di Maria on the right causes a few problems inside the Swansea area. The ball eventually falls to Van Persie on the byline, though his wild cross evades everyone and goes out of play on the far side.
CHANCE! Another good opening for Swansea sees Routledge fire straight at De Gea following a cross from the left. Either side of the goalkeeper and that could have been nestling in the back of the Man Utd net.
This is a decent spell from Swansea, who are using the ball well to get at Man Utd in the final third. The passing has got better, that's for sure. In terms of the better opportunities in front of goal, it's been the hosts who have asked the better questions.
Man Utd have a sniff at goal again as Rooney gets in front of his man to meet Di Maria's cross, but the skipper's effort is a tame one that Fabianski deals with easily. Swansea then go up the other end and win a corner, though the set piece comes to nothing as Fernandez fluffs his lines at the back post.
As so often has been the case this season, Man Utd are lacking that killer touch in the final third. Van Persie is the latest to demonstrate this by playing a poor pass that's intended for Fellaini but instead rolls harmlessly through to Fabianksi. The visitors are struggling to make an impact up front, that's for sure.
The battle that's currently taking place in midfield is a fascinating one. Man Utd are putting some slick passes together, but they're constantly being hounded by the likes of Shelvey and Ki. The Swansea players are working really hard to contain the visitors' more influential players, and they're doing a good job of it.
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-1 MAN UTD (HERRERA)
Man Utd take the lead thanks to a wonderful goal from
Ander Herrera. The visitors are patient in their build-up, but Di Maria and Rooney are key before Herrera finds the net with a low drive from the edge of the box. United used the spaces really well there, stretching Swansea before the Spaniard applied the finishing touch.
GOAL! SWANSEA 1-1 MAN UTD (KI)
Well, that didn't last long! Swansea are behind for just a couple of minutes as Ki Sung-yeung equalises with a clever finish from close range. Shelvey's cross from the left is met by the Korean, who flicks the ball past De Gea and into the back of the net with the deftest of touches. Game on!
That goal from Ki has really boosted the Swansea players and fans. It was just the tonic that they needed after going behind. That said, Man Utd are still looking good going forward in terms of their passing and movement.
Danger in the Swansea box as Di Maria drops a superb cross right into the heart of the area. However, Williams is alert enough to stretch his leg out and clear the ball away. This has been a highly entertaining game so far and it's still providing plenty to enjoy.
Garry Monk will be delighted with the improvement that his players have shown following their defeat to West Brom last time out. The Swans have been full of energy, while their attacking play has been lively. They may well be disappointed that they haven't added to their tally this afternoon because they've created some very good chances indeed.
Not a great deal to separate the teams as we approach half time. Man Utd are enjoying the lion's share of possession at the moment, with Swansea doing most of the chasing.
YELLOW CARD! Fellaini, who has been warned a few times by the referee this afternoon, finally goes into the book after bringing down Cork. The Belgian can have no complaints.
There will be ONE MINUTE of added time...
HALF TIME: SWANSEA 1-1 MAN UTD
There goes the half-time whistle, bringing the curtain down on a good opening 45 minutes of football at the Liberty Stadium. Man Utd took the lead through Herrera, but Swansea hit back just 180 seconds later thanks to Ki. Both sides have played some silky football so far, but some poor finishing means that we don't have more goals to show for it.
Swansea have probably been the marginally better side in terms of being a threat up front, and they could have taken the lead early on when Gomis's header from a corner was cleared off the line by Herrera. Garry Monk's men have looked solid across the pitch, but can they keep it up in the second half?
As for Man Utd, there are plenty of positives that Louis van Gaal and his players can take from that opening half. The passing has been crisp, the movement has been dynamic, but the finishing and creation of chances has been lacking. The one moment it all came together for them was for Herrera's goal. However, those moments have been few and far between.
As mentioned earlier, Man Utd have a wealth of options on the bench. Falcao, Mata and Januzaj are all waiting to be called upon by Van Gaal, and the Dutchman may be tempted to shake things up sooner rather than later in the second half.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY! The teams are back out and it will be Swansea who get us going again. Man Utd have indeed made a change during the break as Antonio Valencia replaces Paddy McNair.
YELLOW CARD! An early booking goes the way of Man Utd defender Jones for stupidly kicking the ball away after referee Neil Swarbrick had blown for a foul.
SAVE! De Gea to the rescue for Man Utd! A devilish cross from the left is swung in towards Ki, who gets in front of his marker before seeing his goal-bound flick blocked by the Spanish goalkeeper.
Following a flurry of activity at the start of the second half, the game has settled down a bit. Man Utd are controlling the majority of the ball right now, taking a patient approach towards getting at Swansea. Meanwhile, the hosts are needing to stay focused and organised at the back.
You get the feeling that Man Utd are building up a bit of a head of steam here. Louis van Gaal's men are still enjoying more of the ball than their opponents, but it's a familiar story of them not doing a great deal with it.
MAN UTD SUB: The away side make their second change of the day as Ashley Young enters the action in place of Luke Shaw.
CHANCE! Man Utd come close to regaining the lead as Rooney and Van Persie combine before the latter slices an effort wide from a tight angle. Rooney went to ground in the build-up under a challenge from an opponent, but the striker didn't make anything of it.
This game is quickly becoming an end-to-end encounter. Both sides are pushing forward at every opportunity, which is making it a great spectacle. From a technical point of view, the passing is lacklustre. The two teams are finding it hard to keep hold of the ball, but that's also making it fun to watch.
CHANCE! Oh, how has Rojo missed that?! Man Utd really should be back in front as Di Maria's corner from the left is met by the head of the defender, but he somehow nods over from all of three yards. The ball was whipped into him with a fair bit of pace, though he should have buried that.
CHANCE! Another Di Maria corner, another great chance for Man Utd. The Argentine's deliveries from out wide have been superb so far this afternoon. This time his corner causes all kinds of chaos in the Swansea box before Fabianski just about manages to get his hands on the ball.
It's all Man Utd at the moment. The visitors are throwing everything at Swansea, who are just about holding on. United win themselves another corner out on the left that Rooney opts to take this time, but his delivery is headed away by Williams.
GOAL! SWANSEA 2-1 MAN UTD (SHELVEY)
From out of absolutely nowhere Swansea take the lead! Shelvey has a crack from 25 yards and drills the ball past De Gea in spectacular fashion. However, is that in fact Gomis's goal? It looks like it may have hit the Frenchman on its way through.
SWANSEA SUB: The hosts make a change now as Gylfi Sigurdsson is replaced by Jefferson Montero.
That goal has certainly buoyed Swansea. They're not looking like they want to sit back here. Instead they're going in search of a third goal. For the record, they've never completed a league double over Man Utd. Is that all about to change? Just under 15 minutes left to play.
MAN UTD SUB: The visitors shake things up again as Juan Mata replaced Angel di Maria. Time is running out for the Red Devils. They need a goal and they need it fast.
Do Man Utd look like they're going to get an equaliser? Not really. As has been the case all afternoon, the build-up play is good but there just isn't that killer touch in the final third. With the clock ticking down, expect them to start pumping a few more balls up to Fellaini.
YELLOW CARD! Ashley Young goes into the book for a reckless challenge on Routledge. The substitute threw himself into that tackle, which you just can't do these days.
CHANCE! Swansea almost wrap up the points as a clever free kick ends with Gomis firing straight at De Gea. The hosts don't look like they're about to ease the pressure on Man Utd.
YELLOW CARD! Marcos Rojo is the latest name to go into the book following a clash with Fabianski from a free kick.
There will be at least FOUR MINUTES of added time...
YELLOW CARD! Jonjo Shelvey gets his name in the book after chopping down Jones from behind. An easy decision for referee Neil Swarbrick.
It's all desperate stuff from Man Utd now as they launch the ball forward whenever they can. They got just two minutes to earn themselves a share of the spoils. Meanwhile, Jordi Amat replaces Shelvey for Swansea.
FULL TIME: SWANSEA 2-1 MAN UTD
There it is! Swansea do the double over Manchester United thanks to a 2-1 win at the Liberty Stadium. They rode their luck at times, but they did enough in the end to earn the spoils. As you might imagine, the players and fans are in jubilant spirits following the whistle.
That's all from our live text coverage of today's game, but don't forget that you can keep up to date with all of the reaction from both teams right here on Sports Mole. Thanks for your company, we hope to see you soon. Goodbye!