Swansea vs Cardiff Prediction

A shakier recent patch for the leaders

Swansea's position at the top hides a rockier run of late. Across their last ten league matches they've lost more often than they've won, including some heavy away defeats. Cardiff, by contrast, have picked up more points than their table position might suggest, winning three and drawing three of their last ten in that same stretch, with a 5-1 home win over Watford among the highlights.

Swansea: 20 completed matches; Cardiff: 20 completed matches.

Swansea

20 matches

Win

50% 10 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

30% 6 / 20

Scored

25

Conceded

23

Difference

+2

Cardiff

20 matches

Win

40% 8 / 20

Draw

25% 5 / 20

Loss

35% 7 / 20

Scored

47

Conceded

36

Difference

+11

Neither side's recent form matches their current position exactly, which makes the points gap look a little flattering for Swansea.

Comparative Team Statistics: Swansea vs Cardiff

A fairly even rivalry down the years

These two have faced off regularly over the years, and results have swung both ways rather than settling into a clear pattern. The most recent meeting went Cardiff's way, a 3-0 win on home soil in January last year. Before that, meetings had been split fairly evenly between home wins, away wins and draws.

Top versus near the bottom

Swansea are sitting top of the Championship table after 11 games, while Cardiff are down in 19th position. The points gap between the two sides is sizeable, with Swansea on roughly double Cardiff's tally. Cardiff's goal difference is also in negative territory, having conceded almost as many as they've scored this season.

That gap makes Swansea favourites on paper, though league position alone doesn't settle a single match.

Key men to watch

Swansea's main threat going forward has been A. Idah, who's weighed in with three goals in his last eight appearances, while Eom Ji-Sung has chipped in with a couple of assists. For Cardiff, J. Moylan has matched that scoring return with three goals in eight games, and O. Tanner has been involved at both ends, with assists and bookings. Robertson and Lissah have both picked up four yellow cards apiece over their last eight outings.

Swansea:

Best scorers:

A. Idah - 3

Best assist providers:

Eom Ji-Sung - 2

Penalty cards:

F. Lissah x 4

Cardiff:

Best scorers:

J. Moylan - 3

Best assist providers:

O. Tanner - 2

Penalty cards:

A. Robertson x 4

O. Tanner x 3

How this one could play out

Swansea's home advantage and league position point one way, but their recent dip in form adds a bit of doubt. Cardiff have shown they can score goals and take points off decent sides, even if consistency has been a problem. With well over a month still to go before kickoff, there's time for both teams' form to shift again before this one comes around.