Alistair Mann
MOTD commentator at the Britannia Stadium

"Ashley Williams is one of the few outfield players not to have missed a minute of Premier League football this season. He might miss the next game through suspension if he's not careful."

Swansea captain Ashley Williams is wobbling atop that disciplinary tightrope amid gasps from the watching crowd. Already on a booking, Williams clatters into the back of Joselu inside the centre circle. It is a free-kick only.

Bafetimbi Gomis scored in each of his first four matches this season. He has scored two in 26 games since as Swansea's early-season promise faded and their league position worsened. Now he receives the ball 25 yards out. Is this his moment? Well, look at the score at the top of this entry, and figure it out for yourself. Here's a clue: The ball whizzed at least 10 feet over the crossbar.

Marko Arnautovic appears to be suffering no ill-effects after injuring his knee a few moments ago. The sun has now disappeared at the Britannia Stadium, where winter never seems to be far away.

Image source, Getty Images

Terrific from former Barcelona youngster Bojan Krkic, who is wonderful to watch when he's on his game. A mazy run from the halfway line is Messi-esque, before a sideways pass to the unmarked Ibrahim Afellay, whose finish is just messy - sliced into the away fans behind the goal.

Swansea winger Wayne Routledge clips Stoke full-back Phil Bardsley, and referee Martin Atkinson decides to have a quiet word. Now it may be the angle that I'm looking at this, but Atkinson appears to accidentally flick Routledge round the ear as he is giving the talking to. Routledge winces.

And yet, it could have been two. As Swansea's foul count mounts, Glenn Whelan floats a free-kick into the penalty area, and Joselu climbs unchallenged 12 yards out. There's not quite enough pace in the delivery for the striker to work with, though, and the header is held comfortably by Lukasz Fabianski.

Alistair Mann
MOTD commentator at the Britannia Stadium

"Stoke have been well on top here, but just the one goal to show for their control of the game."

Marko Arnautovic has gone to ground banging the floor in frustration after being tackled by Jack Cork. I don't think it was necessarily the challenge itself that caused the problem, but the Stoke forward has a problem with his left knee here. He hobbles to his feet, and looks as if he is going to try to carry on for now.

Postpublished at 21 mins

21 mins

Stoke 1-0 Swansea

Ashley Williams is having a tough old afternoon here. Swansea's captain goes piling in to send Joselu flying. Referee Martin Atkinson is satisfied that the challenge was not malicious, but the yellow card is deserved. Joselu gets to his feet after treatment, and Stoke have the free-kick.

Not a great moment for Swansea's defenders, that goal. Television replays show Kyle Naughton and Ashley Williams switching off as Afellay finds the space to head in.

Swansea had a brief flurry of pressure immediately following that goal, but the home defence held firm.

Bright sunshine at the Britannia. Swansea are looking good in the early stages. Bafetimbi Gomis, who is nobody's idea of a prolific striker these days, has a shot deflected behind for a corner. 

When the ball is played in, Jakob Haugaard's punch travels about 20 feet up in the air without getting anywhere near leaving the penalty area. "An eccentric attempt to clear," suggests Match of the Day's Alistair Mann.

Image source, Getty Images

Swansea have an early sight of goal as a corner is cleared to the feet of the experienced Leon Britton, whose 25-yard shot sails over the bar.

Alistair Mann
MOTD commentator at the Britannia Stadium

"Plenty of absentees for Stoke this afternoon, but it really shows the quality of Mark Hughes' squad that he's still got a very, very experienced line-up indeed."

Anyway, we're off. Stoke are in red and white stripes, Swansea are in their horrible away strip of dark blue and lime green.

Image source, Getty Images

Anyway, here's Guidolin on the rumours that Brendan Rodgers might be taking his job.

“I am not worried because this is my job," he says. "I know my job. I have experience and for me it is important to save my team. When I was appointed, this was the target. My future is the present."

Image source, Getty Images

There's a slightly confusing moment during the pre-match interviews as Sky Sports' Vinny O'Connor, working for the Premier League's international broadcast feed, asks Swansea head coach Francesco Guidolin about an old score he has to settle with Stoke manager Mark Hughes.

O'Connor was casting his mind back to 1998, when Hughes, then playing as a striker for Chelsea, scored a spectacular volley to deny Guidolin's Vicenza side a place in the final fo the European Cup Winners' Cup. (Remember that?)

Guidolin, in no apparent mood to reminisce, dodges the question entirely with the blandest of answers. 

“Mark Hughes was one of my favourite players in the past when he played in the Premier League," Guidolin says. "He’s a good guy and a good trainer. I am happy to meet him this afternoon." Thanks, Francesco.

Image source, Getty

At the age of 39 years and 348 days, Shay Given could have become Stoke’s oldest debutant had he started today. However, manager Mark Hughes has instead gone with Dane Jakob Haugaard, 16 years Given's junior.

“Shay has great experience but hasn’t had a great deal of training,” says Hughes, mindful of the fact that the Republic of Ireland international has had a long absence with a knee injury this season.

“Jacob’s done really well training wise and he’s up to speed.”

Neville Southall is currently Stoke's oldest debutant, since you ask. He played a dozen games for them in 1998. Yes, I'd forgotten that too.

Three changes for Swansea; Kyle Naughton, Leon Britton and Wayne Routledge are in; Stephen Kingsley, Ki Sung-yueng and Modou Barrow drop out. Gambia’s Barrow and Ecuador’s Jefferson Montero only returned from international duty on Friday, with the latter on the bench.    

Image source, BBC S