Swansea City

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Swansea City are showing "great improvement" under Luke Williams, according to club captain Matt Grimes.

The Swans sit 12th in the Championship after eight matches of the 2024-25 season.

Indeed, Williams' side have a strong home record having gone unbeaten in their opening four league fixtures at the Swansea.com Stadium.

They are also proving difficult to score against, with only Burnley, Sheffield United, Leeds United and Middlesbrough conceding fewer than Swansea's tally of six goals given away to date.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Grimes said: "We're making steps in the right direction.

"Since the manager has come in, we've always wanted to go toe-to-toe against any team we come up against.

"We're showing great improvement in every game and hopefully we can have a strong season."

Swansea saw their three-game unbeaten run come to an end as they lost 1-0 to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Williams' side return to action against Stoke City on Saturday (15:00 BST), and Grimes knows Swansea's unbeaten home Championship record will be put to the test by a Potters side that thumped Portsmouth 6-1 in midweek.

"Yeah, really good [home form]. I know it'll be a tough game, playing against Stoke is always tough," added Grimes.

"It's a very fast turnaround, we'll rest up and go again.

"The Championship is mental, everyone knows that, but hopefully they [Stoke] have used all of their goals up for the week."

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Matt Grimes believes Joe Allen's international return can "only be positive" for Wales.

Midfielder Allen retired from international duty little more than two months after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but has been included in Craig Bellamy's squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Iceland and Montenegro.

And Swansea City captain Grimes says Allen's international recall will provide a "massive boost" to the Wales squad.

"He's an unbelievable guy and an unbelievable player," Grimes told BBC Sport Wales.

"I think it's a massive boost for Wales and their lads because he's just a brilliant player. It can only be positive.

"Joe gives you so much more than just the football. He's an unbelievable leader and character on and off the pitch, just having him there with his experience is unbelievable."

Grimes has been a mainstay for the Swans since they were relegated from the Premier League in 2018.

The Swansea skipper is now one of the key senior figures under Luke Williams, although he admits the experience of Allen and Kyle Naughton have been hugely beneficial when it comes to improving his own leadership qualities.

"I learn off a lot of the senior players that have been here over the years," added Grimes.

"Joe and Naughts are the two now, they've done everything in their careers.

"They've played at the highest level. You'd be a fool if you didn't draw inspiration from them."

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Swansea City captain Matt Grimes described Josh Tymon as the "best left-back" in the Championship following his string of impressive displays for the club.

Tymon, 25, struggled to make his mark under Michael Duff after joining the Swans from Stoke City in the summer of 2023.

But he has been one of the club's best performers under current head coach Luke Williams - who was appointed boss in January.

He was swiftly supported by his team-mates and coaching staff after turning the ball into his own net as Sheffield United beat Swansea 1-0 at Bramall Lane on Wednesday night.

And Grimes says the experienced defender will be unfazed by his own goal against the Blades as the Swans turn their attention to facing Tymon's former club Stoke on Saturday.

"Tymo's been one of our best players for a long time now," Grimes told BBC Sport Wales.

"He's been at the club just over a year and he's been absolutely phenomenal.

"He's a top talent, he's the best left-back in the league in my opinion.

"It won't phase him at all, it's one of those things, it happens to us all at different times."

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Luke Williams says he is "suffering" on Josh Tymon's behalf after the Swansea City defender's own goal handed Sheffield United victory over his side.

The left-back volleyed Harrison Burrows' cross into his own net on the stroke of half-time at Bramall Lane as the Blades secured a 1-0 win to end Swansea's three-game unbeaten run.

As Tymon cut a dejected figure while walking off the pitch at half-time, the defender was consoled by several members of Swansea's coaching staff, including Williams.

And the head coach urged the 25-year-old to keep his head up as Swansea prepare to return to action against Tymon's former club Stoke City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

"He's (Tymon) been a brilliant player for us. We love him. I don't want him to feel so terrible when he's doing everything right," Williams told BBC Radio Wales.

"It's not like a sloppy error from a player out of focus or making a terrible decision.

"He gives everything week-in week-out and he tried to scoop the ball away from danger and this happened.

"I'm suffering for him and I couldn't wait to tell him that I trust him and tell him not to dwell on it.

"He's a top player, he's going to be fine."

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Luke Williams says only the “very best” of his team will do as Swansea City look to end Sheffield United’s unbeaten start to the Championship season on Wednesday.

Swansea go to Bramall Lane having lost just one league game since their opening-day defeat at Middlesbrough.

But Williams says Swansea will face one of their toughest assignments of the season when they meet Chris Wilder’s Blades on their own patch.

“If you go there and perform well, it should give you a huge boost in confidence because you know you are not going to face anything more difficult,” he said.

“Ferocious atmosphere, good squad, very good manager... We have to play at our very best, be very brave, be squeaky clean, do everything well - and then you might have to add to that a slice of luck.”

Wilder’s side have won four and drawn three of their seven league games this season, though they began 2024-25 on minus two points having broken EFL rules over payments to other clubs.

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They conceded 104 league goals as they finished bottom of the Premier League last term, yet currently have the Championship’s meanest defence.

Wilder’s squad includes numerous attacking threats, such as Gustavo Hamer, Wales striker Kieffer Moore and former Swansea loanee Rhian Brewster.

Tyrese Campbell is another option for Wilder, though he has made only two substitute appearances in the league this season having turned down the chance to join Swansea in favour of moving to South Yorkshire over the summer.

“Credit to any team that can be unbeaten at this stage,” Williams added.

“They have players of high quality with a lot of experience and of course there are some funds to back that, but you still need to galvanise a group of players, give them a game-plan and keep them on the right track.

“That’s why you have an excellent manager to go along with an excellent squad, so that’s why it’s going to be very difficult to play against them.”

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Luke Williams is confident Zan Vipotnik will “be able to show his talent” once the striker comes to terms with life as a Swansea City player.

Liam Cullen’s absence through illness meant Vipotnik made just his second Championship start in Swansea’s 1-1 draw with Bristol City on Sunday.

The Slovenia international has made eight appearances in all – with two further starts in the EFL Cup – since joining Swansea over the summer, but has managed only one goal for his new club to date.

Williams says the 22-year-old will thrive in Wales given time.

“I have got no doubts with Vipi (Vipotnik),” the Swansea head coach said.

“I am really happy with Vipi because he has real quality, he is really motivated and wants to do so well for us.

“I need to help him feel confident and to get into the team in a natural way, and not to try to force it or put unrealistic expectations on him.”

Vipotnik arrived at Swansea in the latter stages of pre-season after the collapse of former club Bordeaux.

He scored 10 goals in the French second tier last season but was allowed to leave due to Bordeaux’s financial troubles.

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“He had a very disjointed end to last season and pre-season and it’s a big change to come here,” Williams added.

“Some of the touches [against Bristol City] when he brings people into play - he is very sure-footed and very bright.

“When you work with him every day, his finishing is exceptional… so I look forward to [seeing] that because we haven’t quite seen it.

“Then there’s a whole other side of the game that he has to cope with. The relentless pressing and recovering – the Championship is different for him and the way we want to play is different for him.

"He is going to get up to speed with that and then he’ll be able to show his talent.”

Vipotnik may be asked to lead the Swansea line once more at Sheffield United on Wednesday, though Williams is hopeful that Cullen, the club’s three-goal leading scorer, will be fit to feature at Bramall Lane.

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Swansea City Women boss Jamie Sherwood hailed his side’s Stok Racecourse response after a key win in the Adran Premier.

The Swans were left frustrated eight days ago when they were held to a goalless draw by Barry Town United at the Swansea.Com Stadium.

But playing at a major ground for the second successive week, Swansea rallied with a 3-2 win at Wrexham to continue an unbeaten start to the season and leave them third in the table.

“It’s a massive three points,” said Sherwood. “We asked for a reaction from last week and I think we’ve seen that.

“We stuck to our identity and the way we want to play football, we’ve come to a tough ground and played some really nice football in tough conditions against a tough team.

“I wouldn’t call it a bounce back, I would say it was a continuation of what we did. We didn’t do anything different to last week, we just took our chances and scored goals.

“It’s really pleasing to come to a ground steeped with history and score three goals on our travels, that’s an amazing thing to do.”

Stacey John-Davis and Jess Williams were on target for Swansea, while Wrexham's Katie Sharp turned Chloe Chivers' free-kick into her own net.

The Swans face champions Cardiff City Women at the Swansea.com Stadium on 6 October.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Luke Williams is different from many a head coach when it comes to post-match media duties.

The Swansea City boss is not the type to gloss over a questionable performance by claiming his team deserved more than they got.

He tends to tell it as it is.

“We are only just about value for a point in the end,” he said in the aftermath of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Bristol City.

Williams could have emphasised how well his team had played for long spells in the first half, how they might have been close to home and dry had Goncalo Franco converted a very presentable chance with Swansea already leading 1-0.

Instead he focused on where things went wrong as Bristol City changed the momentum of the contest in the second half, and deservedly cancelled out Ben Cabango’s opener through Jason Knight’s powerful header.

Williams views 2024-25 as a season where Swansea should look to develop, where a team which is short on Championship experience must learn lessons as they try to progress.

His hope is that this Swansea side will mature into a team capable of mounting a serious push for promotion at some stage a little further down the line.

In the meantime, the challenge is to have more good days than bad – and Williams’ men have managed that in the early stages of the campaign.

Swansea are ninth in the table with 11 points from seven games. Should they carry on with that ratio of points per game across the course of the season, they will be among the runners and riders - at least - when the play-off race reaches its climax next spring.

And after the struggles of last season, that would be a significant step forward.

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Swansea City hope Liam Cullen will be fit for Wednesday’s trip to Sheffield United after the Wales forward missed Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Bristol City through illness.

Cullen, 25, is the Swans’ leading scorer this season with three goals in all competitions.

“He was ill. He missed a couple of days. but then trained for two but unfortunately yesterday evening he felt very poorly again so was unable to be in the squad today (Sunday),” said Swansea head coach Luke Williams.

“He’s got a really good chance [of facing Sheffield United] but we have to be careful because he did lose some weight. That’s a concern because he’s not fully fighting fit, so we’ll have to see how he is over the next few days.

“It’s a shame, that, because he’s been in really good form.”

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Swansea City head coach Luke Williams plans to spell out to his players what cost them victory in their Championship draw with Bristol City in a team meeting on Monday.

Ben Cabango’s volley had given the Swans a well-deserved first-half lead at the Swansea.com Stadium on Sunday, but Bristol City were the better team after the break as Jason Knight’s header earned the visitors a 1-1 draw.

“It looked like a changing room full of players that had been defeated, which is good because if they didn't feel like that then they wouldn’t be the group I thought they were,” Williams said.

“There's disappointment because I think a lot of us know the answers already. But they'll be laid out clearly tomorrow [Monday].

“There's a lot of positive stuff that I saw today. A lot of stuff I really liked. It's a shame when you begin well and make the first breakthrough. We didn't manage to do certain parts of the game well enough to regain control and get the job done.”

Swansea looked to be heading for a third win from four home games this season, and victory would have moved them level with the Championship play-off spots on points.

However, their faltering second-half performance means they must settle for ninth place in the table for now.

Asked if he could put his finger on why his side lost control of the match in the second half, Williams added: “I can but, in all honesty, I’d have to invite you into the team meeting to demonstrate to you exactly.

“I’ve got a very, very clear idea about what shifted the momentum, and it’s moments. It’s key moments where we made the wrong choice and, in this way, we’re not such a good team. We suffered and, in the end, we’re only just about value for a point.”

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Josh Tymon has credited “top class” head coach Luke Williams with helping turn around his and other Swansea City careers.

The 25-year-old defender was signed by Williams’ predecessor, Michael Duff, in the summer of 2023 and struggled with early-season form.

But since Williams’ arrival in January, Tymon has been a mainstay at left-back for the Swans.

“It’s clear to see that my form before the manager came in wasn’t as great as it should be,” said Tymon.

“Since the manager has come in, I’ve just taken everything on board that he wants from his full backs.

“The way he wants to play football suits me down to a tee and that just naturally helps me to progress, get better every day and to keep that form for matchday.

“I know I’m not the only one in the changing room that has benefited from the manager’s style of play. Honestly he's top class, brilliant with every player.

“The amount of detail he goes into with how he wants the play to look, especially in wide areas, for us full backs and wide players it's a dream to play in this system and I'm sure the other lads would back me up on that.”

The Swans host Bristol City on Sunday looking for a third consecutive victory in the Championship.

In addition to Williams’ attacking style, Tymon also says there’s been a defensive improvement.

“We got criticised about that a lot last season for being a bit too easy to play through and conceding soft goals,” added Tymon.

“Whereas this year we’ve got a really solid base and it's not just the boys at the back. We press really well from the front. Everyone knows their jobs and everyone is willing to do the work to help keep the goals out.

“We’ve got two of the best centre backs in the league [Ben Cabango and Harry Darling] who can just eat balls for fun in the air, so we’re learning more about each other, especially the back four.

"We've got a new keeper as well. Vigs [Lawrence Vigoroux] has been unbelievable and it has become a nice unit that's going to gel even more over the next few weeks.”

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Luke Williams may have suggested it would be “silly” to say Swansea City can compete at the “very peak” of the Championship, but Iwan Roberts is not so sure.

Earlier this month, head coach Williams played down the chances of his team contending in the second tier this season because of the lack of experience in his squad.

But former Wales striker Roberts believes Swansea have shown potential in the opening weeks of 2024-25.

“If you look at Swansea, Luke Williams has tried to take the pressure of his squad saying ‘we have nowhere near the squad to be competing for the play-offs’,” Roberts said.

“I don’t think he believes that himself. I think they have.”

Swansea go in search of a third straight victory when they host Bristol City on Sunday.

They sit seventh in the early-season table, having won three and lost two of their first six league games.

Williams’ team have conceded just four league goals so far, a record bettered in the division by only West Brom and Sheffield United.

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“Swansea are the second lowest scorers in the top half - their success in the first six games is their defence has been rock solid,” Roberts added on this week’s Feast of Football podcast.

“I am looking at Ben Cabango and Harry Darling, two players I have criticised over the last two or three years. I think they have been absolutely magnificent.

“I think Ben Cabango’s start to the season has been brilliant. I wouldn’t have had a problem if he’d started both games for Wales [earlier this month].

“He is strong, he is comfortable on the ball, he is good in his own box.”

Centre-backs Cabango and Darling see their current contracts expire at the end of this season.

“The problem Swansea have got is that those two are playing so well and are out of contract in the summer,” Roberts said.

“Whoever sorts [contracts] out at Swansea needs to be sitting down with those two.”