Swans chase first win of season in Crawley reunion
Twelve years on from their triumph over Bradford City at Wembley, Swansea face Crawley once more in the League Cup.
The circumstances are a little different this time around. Crawley are in League Two rather than League One, as they were when Swansea – then of the Premier League – visited in September 2012.
Swansea's starting side that night featured the likes of Ben Davies, Leon Britton and Ki Sung-Yueng as well as Michu, who scored to put Michael Laudrup's team 1-0 up.
But Crawley threatened to cause a shock as they led 2-1 with 16 minutes remaining, only for Danny Graham to level before a rare goal from club skipper Garry Monk gave Swansea victory in stoppage time.
Five months later, Monk and Co were lifting the trophy under Wembley's arch.
The best Swansea have managed since then in the League Cup is two runs to the fourth round, in 2014-15 and 2017-18.
Having been knocked out in round two in each of the last two seasons, Swansea will hope to clear the first hurdle in what is now the Carabao Cup as Alan Sheehan eyes a first win of 2025-26.
This is a first home game of the new campaign for Sheehan's team, who were beaten by a set-piece goal in a forgettable Championship opener at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
With Sheffield United to come next in the league this weekend, a win against a Crawley side who have begun the campaign with back-to-back fourth tier defeats would be welcome – while anything less would mean a blow to early-season morale.
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