Monk targets back-to-back wins

Swans boss previews this weekend’s match against Aston Villa!

Garry Monk has challenged his side to secure back-to-back wins for the first time in over a year when they host Aston Villa at the Liberty on Saturday (3pm).

The Swans welcome the visit of Paul Lambert’s side on the back of a 2-1 victory at Newcastle last weekend, where a last-gasp penalty from Wilfried Bony saw Monk’s side snatch three vital points at St. James’ Park.

Another victory on Saturday would see the Swans make another big step closer to top-flight safety, while it would also see them claim consecutive wins for the first time since December 2012 when they saw off West Brom before beating Arsenal.

And Monk believes that if the Swans are to be successful in the Barclays Premier League, his side need to gain that winning consistency.

“We all know how much the Premier League means to the club,” said the Swans head coach.

“We worked so hard to get here, and we’ve been here for a little while now, so we want to really establish ourselves.

“We’re not there yet. We have work to do.

“It’s been well over a year since we had back-to-back wins, which is unacceptable if you want to be successful in football, so that is the challenge for us.

“We had the chance to secure back-to-back wins when we went to Hull but failed, so we have to make sure we don’t fail come Saturday against Aston Villa.

“It won’t be easy for us. No game is easy, especially at this time of the season. Like us, Aston Villa are scrapping to secure their safety.

“They are a young side and are very energetic. We are expecting a really tough game, and we can’t take anything for granted.

“If we go into these next three games and don’t get any other points while other teams win, we could be relegated.

“It’s far from over for us. We have to go into Saturday’s game to fight for three points. We have to make sure we are mathematically safe.”

Meanwhile, Monk confirmed that Michu would be unavailable for this weekend’s fixture with Aston Villa through injury but retains hope that the Spaniard would play a part in the remainder of Swansea’s season.

“He’s nearly there, but he just can’t seem to get that swelling down,” Monk added. “He is going to see the national doctor in Spain, so we will know more after today.

“I’m still hopeful that he will be able to play a part in the remainder of our season, but we have to be careful because it’s important he gets the rest and comes back as strong as ever.

“Michu is a big player for us. He scores a lot of goals and is a quality striker.

“We’re all disappointed for him, but he will be back fit and strong.”

The Swans are set to play in front of a packed Liberty Stadium when they host Aston Villa on Saturday.

Remaining tickets for this weekend’s match against Paul Lambert’s side have now been snapped up. Thank you for your loyal support.

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