Swansea stats
As we continue the build-up to the forthcoming Premier League campaign, with help from Opta, Sky Sports picks out some key stats for Swansea fans to consider ahead of the new season.
Last Updated: 19/07/13 12:48pm
Swansea became synonymous with an attractive passing style under Brendan Rodgers and that tradition continued last season under Michael Laudrup. Indeed, the Danish legend was even able to guide the Swans to their first major trophy and a series of new signings have added to the sense of excitement at the Liberty Stadium ahead of the new season.
The new arrivals are highly unlikely to change the Swansea approach that is exemplified in the astonishing passing statistics of their midfielders. Leon Britton gained a reputation as the Premier League's answer to Xavi in his opening top-flight campaign and the diminutive midfielder now boasts a partner in Ki Sung-Yueng who is also putting up similarly impressive numbers.
| Passing accuracy (midfielders - 10-game min.) - PL 2012/13 | ||
| Player | Team | Accuracy |
| Ki Sung-Yueng | Swansea | 92.71% |
| Paul Scholes | Man Utd | 92.41% |
| Mikel Arteta | Arsenal | 91.53% |
| Leon Britton | Swansea | 91.40% |
The defensive partnership of Ashley Williams and Chico Flores has been an equally significant part of Swansea's success. For all the praise of the team's performances in possession, stopping the opposition remains important and Laudrup has a centre-back combination that has proven effective at doing just that.
No player in the Premier League came close to blocking as many efforts on goal as Williams last season, while both Williams and Chico were among the top four defenders in the top flight when it came to intercepting the ball.
| Blocks & Interceptions (defenders) - PL 2012/13 | |||
| Player | Blocks | Player | Interceptions |
| Ashley Williams | 52 | Matthew Lowton | 111 |
| Brede Hangeland | 41 | Ashley Williams | 110 |
| James Collins | 40 | Jan Vertonghen | 100 |
| Ryan Shawcross | 37 | Chico Flores | 91 |
If Swansea had a weakness last season, there were occasional question marks regarding the support that Michu received at the other end of the pitch. With Danny Graham sold and on-loan striker Itay Shechter netting just one goal in 18 Premier League appearances, the need for a striker to support Michu was obvious.
The signing of Wilfried Bony looks to have addressed that issue in emphatic fashion. The Ivory Coast international was the stand-out striker in Holland last season, netting an astonishing 31 goals in just 30 Eredivisie games. If he can manage to get just halfway to that tally in 2013/14 then Swansea can look forward to another exciting campaign.
| Goals scored - Eredivisie 2012/13 | ||
| Player | Team | Goals |
| Wilfried Bony | Vitesse | 31 |
| Graziano Pelle | Feyenoord | 27 |
| Alfreo Finnbogason | Heerenveen | 24 |