Swansea start with possession. Something I expect to write a lot today.

We also have a first clash as Swans defender Kyle Naughton bundles over Cardiff's strapping Wales striker Kieffer Moore.

Referee James Linington gets us under way in Swansea.

Here we go.... Time to earn those bragging rights.

Jason Perry
Former Cardiff defender on BBC Radio Wales

I love this fixture. I absolutely adore it, home and away.

Going in that tunnel against those boys in the white jersey.

If you were booed, I enjoyed it. If you were cheered, I enjoyed it. I love it!

The teams emerge from the tunnel to a cauldron of noise.

It looks like it's a full house.

Ian Walsh
Former Swansea striker on BBC Radio Wales

Welsh club football is on a precipice.

Apart from Wrexham [in the National League but recently taken over by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney], there are problems in Welsh football.

Today, 19th against 20th in the Championship is a ridiculous position to be in.

Ben James, a Cardiff fan who runs the View from the Ninian podcast, has been speaking to BBC Radio Wales about Mick McCarthy's position as Bluebirds manager.

"If he loses today, his position is untenable," he says.

"There's issues throughout the club. The lack of planning and foresight is baffling. That's the biggest issue at the club.

"I think it's going to be 0-0. It's going to be a dire game, let's be honest."

If that doesn't whet your appetite, well...

Ian Walsh
Former Swansea striker on BBC Radio Wales

Russell Martin is fully aware of what this game means. He's played in big games and derbies.

There's more pressure on Mick McCarthy than there is on Martin.

And can I just remind everybody that I played for both clubs? I represented Cardiff as well.

Swansea City goalkeeper Ben Hamer says Cardiff's direct approach will have no bearing on how the hosts approach today's derby.

Swans boss Russell Martin is determined to play with a short passing style.

“With our style of play, nothing will change because we are playing Cardiff, we will keep trying to do what we do," Hamer said.

“The only difference for us is that hopefully there will be a lot more noise on the pitch.

“It is not really in the mindset of the manager to change what we do if things go wrong or if we under pressure, we won’t kick aimlessly up the pitch, we will keep trying to do what we do best.

“That has been the message the whole time since the manager got here, to stick with it and persist with the style of play and eventually it will come good.

“Hopefully it pays off against Cardiff, I am pretty sure it will be a game with two different styles of play.”

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales at the Swansea.com Stadium

Neither of these clubs has had a great deal to shout about in the first chunk of this Championship season, but anticipation is in the air at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Will Swansea's absolute commitment to possession football pay dividends against a Cardiff side in miserable form?

Or will the derby atmosphere inspire an upturn in fortunes for Mick McCarthy's physically imposing Bluebirds?

As well as an argument with the neighbours, this game is a clash of styles.

Swansea City striker Joel Piroe says he was honoured by comparisons to fellow former PSV Eindhoven striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

(Editor note): He might have a little way to go yet! :)

No Piroe, no party.

It is the fans' chant which has been the theme tune of Swansea City's season so far, given Joel Piroe's impact since arriving from PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

Swansea were taking a risk when they decided Piroe, a youngster with just one Eredivisie start to his name, was the man to fill the considerable void left by Andre Ayew.

Yet already the transfer fee - of around £1m initially - to bring the 22-year-old Piroe to Wales looks like money well spent.

Read more here.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

There's a "very big police presence" as you'd expect at the Swansea.com Stadium, the Press Association's Phil Blanche reports.

As we mentioned earlier, fans will need a Covid pass to get in.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

• Swansea City have lost consecutive home league matches against rivals Cardiff City once before, losing in the 1957-58 and 1958-59 seasons to the Bluebirds.
• There has only been four goals scored in the last four league meetings between Swansea and Cardiff, with Cardiff’s only goal in this run their winning goal from Aden Flint in the last game between the teams.
• Since the start of last season, Swansea City have kept 26 Championship clean sheets, the most of any side (excluding play-offs), with the Swans leading the way for clean sheets this season too (six).
• Cardiff City have lost their last five league matches, last losing six on the bounce in November 1985 under Alan Durban.
• Cardiff striker Kieffer Moore hasn’t scored in any of his last nine Championship appearances, his longest run without a goal since a 13-game stretch between May 2018 and October 2019 at Barnsley and Wigan – the Welshman ended this run with a goal against Swansea in November 2019, though it was in a 2-1 defeat.
• There hasn’t been a Welsh scorer in a league match between Cardiff and Swansea since February 2011, a Craig Bellamy winner for Cardiff at Liberty Stadium.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

This local lad knows how it feels to score for Cardiff in a south Wales derby.

Former Wales midfielder Joe Ledley struck in a 2-2 draw away against Swansea in 2008.

Iwan Roberts
Former Wales striker on BBC Radio Wales

Cardiff have the aerial threat, whereas Swansea don't have that height.

If I was Kieffer Moore, I'd be on Ryan Manning all day long.

Jason Perry
Former Cardiff defender on BBC Radio Wales

I can understand why Mick McCarthy has gone with that team.

It needs to be physical, it needs to be ugly. They've got the height, whereas Swansea want this to break out into a football game.

Cardiff will have less possession but they'll have corners, they'll have free-kicks.

Which team can play to their game plan to the maximum and deal with the nerves?

Ian Walsh
Former Swansea striker on BBC Radio Wales

The fans understand what a south Wales derby means but a lot of the players don't.

You look at the squads and a lot of the players haven't been with their clubs that long, and there aren't many players from the clubs' areas.

I fear there aren't enough players who understand what the derby means.

Cardiff City's on-loan Wolves winger Ryan Giles has been one of the better performers for the struggling Bluebirds this season.

No matter what you read into chief executive Ken Choo's mischievous banter in the previous post, Giles says the players remain firmly behind boss Mick McCarthy.

“We started brilliantly this season to be fair and then we had a bit of a dip in the last five or six matches, I don’t know what you put it down to," he said.

“We need to stick together as a team and try and get out of this.

“We need to encourage each other and the goals will come for this team and results will come.

“The last game against Reading we were very unlucky and we need to build on that and stay positive.

“It was something to build off. We have regrouped and we are looking to hit the ground running today.

“The players are fully behind the manager, he’s been brilliant with all of us.

“We trust him, he believes in us and that is all we need.

“At the start of the season we were getting results and we all believe in each other.”

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

South Wales derbies weren't always played at plush modern grounds like the Swansea.com Stadium or Cardiff City Stadium.

Have a look at these pictures of a derby day at Cardiff's old home, Ninian Park, from 2009.