Swansea City's Championship season begins with a visit to Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium on Saturday. The Swans are seeking to bounce back from a winless start to the league season since 2020, having lost each of their final four league games last season. Stoke City, on the other hand, are looking to avoid five successive defeats for the first time since January 2005.
What happened?
Stoke City have lost just one of their past 15 home league games against Swansea City, winning this exact fixture in each of the previous two campaigns. The Swans beat Stoke City 2-0 in their last league meeting in March, last winning consecutive games against the Potters in the 2020-21 Championship campaign.
Why it matters for Swansea City
Swansea City's winless start to the league season since 2020 is a concern for the team, and a victory against Stoke City would be a much-needed boost. The Swans have avoided defeat in their final four away league games last season, not since between February and November 2020 have they gone five successive games on the road unbeaten.
What comes next?
Swansea City will look to build on their momentum from their EFL Cup first round win over Oldham last weekend, and a victory against Stoke City would set them up nicely for the rest of the season. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 11th in Championship, 64 pts, 18W-10D-18L from 46 games, recent form WDWLW. Goals this season: 57 scored, 59 conceded (-2 goal difference). Title race: 31 points behind leaders Coventry.
