On July 20, 2012, Swansea City signed a little-known player called Michu from Rayo Vallecano. He took the Premier League by storm – but can you name the Swansea XI from his debut? Michu hit the ground running in English football, scoring twice and providing an assist as Swansea thumped QPR 5-0 on the opening day of the 2012-13 season. He went on to score a total of 18 league goals that season, including a late match-winning double against Arsenal at the Emirates, strikes against the champions-elect Manchester United while also netting in the semi-final of the League Cup against reigning Europe ..read more

On February 24, 2013, Swansea City lifted the League Cup after smashing Bradford City 5-0 in the final at Wembley. Can you remember that side? League One side Bradford had worked miracles to make it all the way to the final, but their fairytale ended courtesy of a brutally ruthless performance from Swansea. We’re asking you to name Michael Laudrup’s starting XI for the occasion. It’s a side that many remember fondly, littered with Premier League cult heroes, so we’re expecting strong scores. After lifting the trophy, Laudrup said: “I don’t think I can compare this title, what we have achieved ..read more

Over the last few years, things have finally been changing with Manchester United’s youth academy after years of neglect at what should have been the club’s crowning glory saw it fall behind competitors. The quality of players coming through was still high, but they were ignored and borderline neglected by United. The emphasis was on superstars, making money and increasing the club’s global appeal, not developing young players. It led veteran United journalist Andy Mitten to write a damning piece decrying complacency and old-fashioned methods. But now things have changed, and one player who em ..read more

Manchester City crashed out of the Carabao Cup on penalties following a goalless draw with West Ham United last night. Having won the competition for the last four years running, there is some relief that there will be a new winner for the first time since 2017. Just over five years to the day since their only previous League Cup defeat under Pep Guardiola, a 1-0 loss at Old Trafford, their incredible unbeaten streak in the competition came to an end. The run spanned 21 games and is the first time anyone has lifted the trophy in four consecutive years since Liverpool, from 1981-1984. When a te ..read more

Manchester United youngster Ethan Laird has made a very promising start to his loan spell at Championship side Swansea City. Laird spent the second half of last season on loan at MK Dons and followed manager Russel Martin to Swansea ahead of the 2021-22 season. The right-back quickly established himself as a regular in the side and registered his first Championship assist in their 3-3 draw with Luton Town. “They [United] feel it’s a really good place for Ethan to keep developing and learning, and so do we,” Martin said recently. “As long as he can keep doing what he’s doing, train hard, and he ..read more

Joining Swansea City in June 2007 changed Angel Rangel’s life. At the age of 24, he was finally a full-time professional footballer, and he would go on to become a club legend over the next 11 years, developing close ties to the city and the supporters during the most successful period in their history. Rangel made 374 appearances for Swansea and won two promotions as well as the 2013 League Cup. Gradually establishing themselves in the Premier League, the Swans held their own in European competition before the ideals that had underpinned their remarkable ascent were compromised. The abandonme ..read more

While there are plenty of footballers who have been described as having played football how you’d like to play it, few fit the bill as well as Lee Trundle. The forward may never have played international football, or even at a level higher than the English Championship, but that didn’t matter if you saw him play. This was a man who was the most important person on almost every pitch he entered, and if that meant never stepping higher up the pyramid that didn’t matter. It wasn’t until the age of 24 that Trundle even got his league bow, joining Wrexham – then in the third tier – from the League ..read more

Swansea City are now unbeaten in 10 games under Carlos Carvalhal, but just what has the Portuguese coach done to turn around a team that looked destined for relegation from the Premier League? Swansea had been in the relegation zone since the beginning of November and were rock bottom, five points from safety, when Carvalhal was appointed in late December. They are now in 16th place and are the form side in the Premier League in the last five matches (no team has more than their 11 points). Initially seen as an uninspiring choice, Carvalhal has proven an overwhelming success thus far. A 0 ..read more

The key to any good Fantasy Premier League team are your differential players – ones that make a difference that not everybody has. Anyone can predict that Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland will rack up big scores, but it takes real knowledge – and often bravery – to identify those players that will have an amazing season out of nowhere. Over the years there have been some players racked up unexpectedly monster scores on FPL, helping you to come top of your workplace mini league in the process. Here are nine Premier League players that earned cult hero status thanks to their fantasy football br ..read more

On July 20, 2012, Swansea City signed a little-known player called Michu from Rayo Vallecano. He took the Premier League by storm – but can you name the Swansea XI from his debut? Michu hit the ground running in English football, scoring twice and providing an assist as Swansea thumped QPR 5-0 on the opening day of the 2012-13 season. He went on to score a total of 18 league goals that season, including a late match-winning double against Arsenal at the Emirates, strikes against the champions-elect Manchester United while also netting in the semi-final of the League Cup against reigning Europe ..read more