Swansea City manager Vitor Matos is attracting interest from the Premier League, with Crystal Palace weighing him as a candidate to replace Pierre Sage. The speculation comes as Matos has guided Swansea to the top of the Championship table with the division's best defensive record. His side sits first with 23 points from a record of seven wins, two draws, and two losses after 11 games, holding a one-point lead over Middlesbrough.
Swansea City remain first in the Championship with 23 points from 11 games, holding a one-point lead over Middlesbrough. Their position is built on a solid defence that has conceded just eight goals this season, the fewest in the league, while scoring 16 for a goal difference of plus eight. That resilience was briefly interrupted by a 1-0 home defeat to West Ham United last Friday, which ended a run of four wins in five matches. The side's recent form reads LWWWW, showing their ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks. Their focus now turns to maintaining their lead when they face Queens Park Rangers away this Saturday 24 October.
Matos a target for Palace
Crystal Palace, who have the Premier League's worst defence after conceding 17 goals in seven games, are considering a change. Manager Pierre Sage, who joined the club in the summer, is under significant pressure following a 5-0 derby defeat to Brighton on Sunday. The club's search for a potential successor has led them to look at Matos, who has stabilised Swansea City. Other names on Palace's radar include Rob Edwards and Scott Parker. Palace's immediate concern is their porous back line, which has been breached for an average of goal minutes per game, a stark contrast to the organisation Matos has instilled at Swansea.
Matos took charge at Swansea after a difficult start to the previous campaign and has since implemented a disciplined structure. His work has been central to Swansea's rise, with striker Adam Idah contributing four goals in ten appearances this term, making him the club's top scorer. The manager's methods have also been key in managing the squad's fitness, with the club's injury list remaining relatively short and containing no new major concerns ahead of the weekend fixture. Securing another positive result there would further underline the team's credentials and perhaps make the case for Matos to stay put even stronger. The team will look to replicate recent away successes like the 1-0 win at Millwall on Tuesday 13 October and the 2-1 victory at Lincoln on Saturday 19 September.
More detail at The72 - Football League News
