Swansea City

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Swansea City's youngsters will bid to cause another FA Youth Cup shock when they face Blackburn Rovers in round five at the Swansea.com Stadium on Wednesday (19:00 GMT).

Swansea are through to the last 16 of the competition for the first time since 2015 after claiming a last-gasp, extra-time winner at Leeds United in the previous round.

Like Leeds, Blackburn are a category one academy, while Swansea only have category two status and therefore start as underdogs.

Rovers gave an indication of their quality with an 8-1 victory at Coventry City in the previous round.

Swansea also triumphed on their travels in round three, courtesy of another late winner at Hull City.

"It's been a long time since we've reached this stage as a club and it's nice for the boys to be part of that," Swansea Under-18s coach Jon Beale told the club website.

"We expect another difficult evening, like we had at Leeds. These category one teams work at such a high level and the level of competition they face every week is so high."

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Bobby Wales will aim to show during his stint at Huddersfield Town that he has the tools to shine at Swansea City.

And while Wales is in Yorkshire, Thomas Woodward will try to seize his opportunity to impress in Swansea.

Following Wales' transfer deadline day switch to the Terriers, 19-year-old academy product Woodward has been promoted to Swansea's first-team squad.

An attacking midfielder or forward, Wales youth international Woodward joined Swansea when aged eight and has been a regular goalscorer for the club's under-18s and under-21s.

Wales made his Huddersfield debut as a substitute in their 2-2 draw with Blackpool last weekend, coming on for the final 33 minutes, and will aim to feature once more when the Terriers host Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday.

The hope for Vitor Matos is that 20-year-old Wales will play regular football during his spell in League One, while Woodward will fill in for him at Swansea.

"I think it's important that Bobby plays consistently from now on to keep his development, and as well for us to keep and eye on him with proper competition," Swansea's head coach said.

"With that, we create space as well for Woody (Woodward) to train with the first team. That is important for us to see.

"He's a good player on the academy and we want him to do a next step as well. We used the academy and I think that's why I'm really happy."

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Swansea City were hovering above the Championship relegation zone when Vitor Matos was named head coach of the Welsh club in late November.

Their position quickly became more perilous, following defeats to Derby County the day after Matos' appointment and against West Brom later that week.

After that alarming loss at The Hawthorns, when Swansea collapsed having led 2-0 inside 11 minutes, Matos' side were only outside the bottom three on goal difference.

Yet 13 league games and 25 points later, Matos found himself answering questions about his team's chances of reaching the play-offs after Sunday's win against Sheffield Wednesday.

It has been quite the turnaround.

Relegation concerns are not completely eliminated but, with 15 league games still ahead, it would take another spectacular change in form for Swansea to be drawn into a prolonged scrap to stay out of the bottom three.

And realistically, though the gap to the top six is only five points, 15th-placed Swansea would need to do something extraordinary to finish the season in the play-off places.

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If Matos' team can somehow mirror the sparkling form of their previous 13 league matches over the next 13, they would have 67 points on the board with two games of the season remaining.

Traditionally, something between 70 and 75 points would secure sixth place in the second tier – although there are odd seasons.

Last May, for example, Bristol City claimed the final play-off spot with only 68 points, while Coventry had only 69 in fifth.

Since the beginning of December, Swansea have been one of the top sides in the division in terms of points return.

Can Matos' rejuvenated squad maintain their current form through until the final stages of the season?

They will have a better idea about their chances by the end of February, with games against Derby (who are currently ninth), Bristol City (eighth), Preston (seventh) and Ipswich (third) to come this month.

Should Swansea come through that run with a decent points haul, talk of play-off possibilities will grow a little louder.

For the moment, the club's fans will be enjoying an opportunity to look up the table rather than down.

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Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen says Swansea City deserve "big respect" for their tactical approach under Vitor Matos.

Swansea thumped Pedersen's relegation-bound Owls side 4-0 on Sunday to continue their improvement under Matos.

The Swans had won only four of their 16 Championship games in 2025-26 when Matos was appointed as successor to Alan Sheehan in November.

They have since claimed eight victories in 15 league games to climb to within five points of the play-off places in 15th.

Defeat at the Swansea.com Stadium continued the Owls' desperate form, but Pedersen felt the home side deserved credit for their emphatic victory.

"Swansea is a fantastic team, one of the best teams in the league on the ball," the Dane said.

"They are a tough team to press and at the same time really well organised defensively.

"It was tough to press against them. We have seen eight, nine games and it's generally a picture – [so] big respect for the quality of them."

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Vitor Matos says Swansea City must "celebrate the small things" as they look to continue their fine home form against bottom-club Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday (12:01 GMT).

Since losing their first game under Matos at home to Derby in November, Swansea have taken 16 points from six league fixtures on their own patch.

They will aim to extend that sparkling run against a Wednesday side who have lost seven straight Championship fixtures and have not scored in their past eight.

Thanks in part to EFL points deductions, the Owls are 34 points adrift at the foot of the table with relegation to League One already an inevitability.

But Matos has warned his players that nothing will come easy even though Wednesday are in "a hard situation".

"If we look to all their recent past games, they always stayed in the game until the end," he said.

"They always have a way to compete and I think even when they lost games, they are really close in terms of numbers. We have full respect.

"It will be a game where more than anything we need to celebrate the small things. We need to celebrate the proper tackle, we need to celebrate a good press, we need to celebrate a good clearance out of the box, a good cross, a corner."

Matos says Swansea's fans will have a part to play, particularly given the early kick-off time.

"We hope that the stadium goes with us because it's a game at a special time of the day as well," he added.

"If we can have the energy of the stadium in a way that we understand that the small things will be really important, I think that will be massive."

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Vitor Matos accepts there will be more interest in Zan Vipotnik this summer if the Slovenia striker keeps on firing at Swansea City.

Vipotnik is the Championship's leading scorer with 13 goals in 2025-26, while he has also netted twice in cup games and for his national side.

Swansea are thought to have fielded enquiries about Vipotnik during the mid-season transfer window, though there were no late bids before Monday's transfer deadline.

Matos says there are likely to be more suitors for the 23-year-old in the close season if he maintains his current form.

"It's the normal circle of football I would say," said the Swansea head coach.

Matos added that Swansea had back-up plans in case a major bid for Vipotnik was made before the mid-season deadline.

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The Portuguese was not too worried about offers because Swansea would only have sold at the right price.

"We knew what we wanted if that kind of thing happened," he added.

"We were covered if that kind of thing happened, but we knew as well that to fulfil our demands was probably not easy [for another club] to do."

When asked whether Vipotnik has the potential to thrive at Premier League level, former Liverpool coach Matos added: "It will always depend where he goes, how he fits the squad, how he fits the style.

"I think he has a lot of qualities. He has much more [to come] as well, that's what I said before.

"He helps so much the team at the moment, pressing-wise, setting triggers, being a reference. So he's improving his game as well.

"And I think if he keeps on that direction, he's becoming a more complete number nine. The more complete he becomes, the closer he is to having an impact on the future for his career."

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Sheffield Wednesday will seek to avoid unwanted history when they travel to Swansea on Sunday (12:01 GMT).

The rock-bottom Owls are edging closer to League One and Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Blackburn means they have now lost seven straight Championship games and gone eight league games without scoring - their last goal was scored by Bailey Cadamarteri in the Boxing Day draw with Hull City. They have never gone nine league matches without a goal in their history.

The Swans are 16th going into the weekend, seven points clear of the relegation zone and are unbeaten at home since November, winning five of their past six matches there and drawing the other, conceding only three goals in that run.

• In what is the 19th different league campaign in which the sides have met, Swansea are looking to complete the league double over Sheffield Wednesday for the first time.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won just one of their past seven away league games against Swansea (D3 L3), though it was in this exact fixture last season (1-0).

• Since the start of December only Middlesbrough (8) and Hull City (8) have won more Championship games than Swansea (W7 D1 L4).

• Sheffield Wednesday have failed to score in any of their last eight league games. Never before have they gone nine without a goal in their league history (also 8 in March/April 1975).

• Swansea's Zan Vipotnik is the top scorer in the Championship with 13 goals, while no player has netted more at home than the Slovenian (9, level with Jaden Philogene).

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

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As Swansea City's revival under boss Vitor Matos continues to gather momentum, Iwan Roberts believes a top-half finish would now represent a strong season - especially given the dismal start the Welsh side made under Alan Sheehan.

When Matos took charge on 24 November, Swansea were 20th and only four points above relegation. They now sit seven points clear of danger and just eight behind Wrexham in sixth, a gap Roberts thinks could still narrow.

"It's there for whatever team wants to get hold of it," the former Wales striker told the Feast of Football podcast.

The Swans improvement was highlighted by last weekend's impressive 2–0 win at Watford, only Matos' second away victory, backed by a 2.78 xG.

"That's a great away win considering they'd lost seven of their previous eight away games," added Roberts.

With the January window now closed, top scorer Zan Vipotnik remains at the club - another ex-Wales international Sam Vokes commenting "sometimes it is important what you hold on to more so than what you bring in".

In terms of incomings, Swansea added winger Gustavo Nunes, experienced right-back Joel Ward, and attacking midfielder Leo Walta, whose arrival in particular has generated excitement with Vokes telling the podcast he is "the best of the lot".

The Finland international scored 16 goals in 30 appearances last season for IK Sirius and Roberts believes Walta's numbers "would suggest that he can make you a goal".

Swansea have scored an average of one goal or fewer in 22 of their 30 matches and supporters will be hoping, like Vokes, that Walta will "improve that statistic" - especially as Ronald is Swansea's second top scorer with only four goals. Vipotnik, is the Championship leading marksman with 13 goals, while he has also managed two in the cups.

At Watford, Marko Stamenic also impressed, contributing a goal and assist.

With Walta's arrival, Swansea now have genuine midfield competition and added creativity, qualities that Roberts feels Matos' side have been lacking.

Roberts also highlighted Swansea's crucial next six fixtures, against Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, Bristol City, Preston, Ipswich and Stoke.

While Vokes believes Matos can be "quite happy with the squad he's got", Roberts believes supporters may have wanted a more well-known, experienced winger alongside a centre-half.

Even so, Roberts feels Swansea are well-placed to progress adding: "I think a top-half finish would be good for Swansea.

"Matos has come in, won half of his games, won 16 points from his home games. Sheehan took them to 11th last year so considering where they were when Matos took over, I think a top-half finish would be a decent season for Swansea."

The Swans host bottom club Wednesday on Sunday (12:01 GMT) aiming to continue a run that has seen them lose just once in their last five matches.

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

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Marko Stamenic doubled his goal and assist tally for the season as he played a decisive role in Swansea's 2-0 victory over Watford on Saturday.

The midfielder scored and assisted in the Swans' first away win since Oxford on 29 December to lift Vitor Matos' side ten points clear of the relegation places.

"I don't think you can beat that. We've been working hard week in, week out and now to finally win away against a really good opponent with the fans and everything, it's overwhelming," he said.

The New Zealand International opened the scoring on the weekend, reacting at the far post to tap in a goal-bound Vipotnik header.

Set-pieces have been a major strength for Swansea - accounting for 10 of their 34 league goals - and with Stamenic boasting the most interceptions per 90 minutes of any player in the squad, his influence has grown at both ends of the pitch.

"We know we are a strong force with set pieces, I'm happy to be able to take that chance."

Later in the game, he turned provider, setting up Josh Key, who had only just come onto the pitch, for what he called "a crucial goal".

Stamenic has started 19 Championship matches since his £2 million arrival from Nottingham Forest in the summer, and says he is relishing life in South Wales.

"I'm very proud to represent Swansea. We have all the ingredients to do amazing things and hopefully get into the playoffs.

"Every game matters, every point matters. We're focused on ourselves and doing everything to win."

With Snoop Dogg's recent comments about his plans to make Swansea a "global name", Stamenic believes the co-owner's words can only advance the Welsh side's progression.

"To hear someone like Snoop Dogg say of his ambition is a huge credit to the people around Swansea that make it a whole organisation," he said.

"The ambition drives us, gives us that confidence to every day come into training and work hard for this club."

Swansea are now eight points off sixth-placed Wrexham and face bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday next as they look to continue their momentum which has seen them lose just once in their last five matches.

Find more Swansea City content from BBC Sounds at the bottom of this page or on our dedicated club page.

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Today is the final chance of the season for your Championship team to do transfer business.

The window closes at 19:00 GMT, meaning teams - and fans - can avoid the usual late-night transfer scramble.

It has already been a busy window - for some teams anyway - but whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

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Vitor Matos says he is "pleased with the ambition" after Snoop Dogg declared that Swansea City's owners want to make the club a "global name".

Rap star Snoop Dogg is one of Swansea's celebrity co-owners alongside Real Madrid legend Luka Modric and billionaire businesswoman Martha Stewart.

They have been brought in by Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen, who took control of Swansea in November 2024, in an attempt to raise the profile of the Championship club.

Matos, who was appointed head coach just over two months ago, believes Snoop Dogg's target is proof that Swansea are in "good hands".

"That was one of the reasons why a lot of principles and thoughts came together when I was doing the interview with the club," Matos said.

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"That's the feeling I got from the owners, this kind of ambition. I am pleased with the ambition and values."

Matos has made a positive impact since being named successor to Alan Sheehan, with Saturday's impressive victory at Watford lifting Swansea to 15th in the table.

While a season which began with play-off ambitions has been something of a struggle, a return to the Premier League in the not-too-distant future remains the target for Swansea's hierarchy.

"We want to improve the team and to improve the club," Matos said.

"Swansea is a really special club with identity that started long ago. We need to grab those values, grab the identity the club has and use them as the standards and build from that."

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Vitor Matos says he will wait and see what the final stages of the transfer window bring as he toasted Swansea City's victory at Watford.

Swansea won on the road for the second time in seven attempts during the Matos era thanks to second-half goals from Marko Stamenic and Josh Key at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

It was just a fourth away success this season for the Swans, with the three others coming against the clubs currently occupying the Championship relegation places.

With his team now 10 points clear of the bottom three thanks to seven wins in their past 12 league games, Matos believes Swansea are heading in the right direction.

"I think there's still a lot that we can keep building as a club and a team," he said.

"It's important that the foundations are getting set, the basics are starting to be clear for everyone.

"That's what we need to build from. There are still a lot of games to come."

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Swansea remain in the market for a new recruits before Monday's transfer deadline, with Matos interested in signing an attacking midfielder as well as a centre-back.

Finland international Leo Walta (pictured above) is among the players Swansea are interested in, but Matos refused to be drawn on a potential move for the Sirius player, who scored 16 goals in the 2025 Swedish top-flight season.

"Nothing to add, nothing to confirm," he said. "Let's see how the next couple of days go."

Matos was shown a yellow card after the stoppage-time incident which saw Watford substitute Nestory Irankunda sent off.

Irankunda raised his hands towards Liam Cullen, who was also booked.

Matos said his caution was because he "came on the pitch to calm down the players".

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Swansea City take their search for an improvement on the road to Watford on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with Vitor Matos acknowledging his team remain a work in progress.

Swansea have taken 16 points from seven home league games since Matos took charge in November.

But their away record is far less impressive, with last weekend's somewhat unfortunate defeat at Hull City leaving Matos' side with only three points from a possible 18 on their travels.

Matos believes Swansea have taken positive steps since he succeeded Alan Sheehan, but accepts they "need to keep improving" if they are to maintain momentum for the rest of the season.

"I think we are on the right way to the kind of style we want to play," the Swansea head coach said.

"We are in the right way in terms of culture because at the end of the [Hull] game there was no-one who felt the [pain of the] result more than the players. I think that's what we want to see when you have these kinds of games.

"Now is about another away game, different kinds of problems, and we need to go there and to compete."

Despite the sharp contrast in home and away form, Matos argues his team's failures away from the Swansea.com Stadium have been purely down to performance.

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"It's about which kind of problems come up in the game and how we can handle that kind of problem," he added.

"Of course, emotion-wise it's different because you are at home in your stadium with your fans, but that doesn't change what the game is."

Watford, who are a point outside the play-off places, have taken 29 points from 15 home league games so far this season.

But the Hornets face Swansea after a slight dip in form, having failed to win in four matches in all competitions.

They were held to a draw by lowly Portsmouth in their most recent home fixture having lost the one before that against Millwall.

"They are a good team - really good players, decisive players who are really effective in the last third," Matos said.

"They scored 24 goals from open play, which says a lot about them as well.

"It's a game that we need to be 100% focused with a 100% concentration and again, for sure, details will make a difference."