Summer switches between Swansea and Spurs make for superb subplot

Swansea City have never beaten Tottenham in the Premier League, but that failure to win in six attempts did not stop these two teams from doing plenty of summer business with one another.

Four players moved between them in the last transfer window and, as Garry Monk’s men sit a point and two places better off in the table, the Swans are 7/5 favourites with Coral to finally end this top-flight hoodoo and beat Spurs.

While on-loan midfielder Tom Carroll is ineligible against his parent club, Iceland international Gylfi Sigurdsson switched permanently to the Liberty Stadium. He will be a thorn in Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who are 21/10 chances for a third successive win in south Wales. A draw comes in at 9/4.

Sigurdson scored in this fixture when he was on loan at Swansea from Hoffenheim in April 2012, and is 9/4 in the anytime market, or 15/2 to come back and haunt Tottenham by grabbing the opener.

Dutch goalie Michel Vorm and Wales left back Ben Davies are the two former Swans players Pochettino brought to north London this summer, but only the latter is in favour the Premier League. In respect of his old defensive colleague, Monk feels there is more to come from Davies.

“Ben’s a very good player and it took him a little bit of time to force his way into the team,” said the Swansea boss. “But more recently he has done that and looks to be the first choice at the moment and it’s up to him to keep that shirt.

“He’s developing as a player and I’m sure Tottenham have yet to see the best of him but I’m sure they’ll get to see that in future.”

Davies may be a rank outsider at 16/1 to score against the Swans here, but another Spurs defender, Jan Vertonghen, loves playing against this opposition. The Belgium has two in his last three appearances when paired with this position, so consider Vertonghen in the anytime market at 8/1.

Tottenham have no win or goal in a trio of December outings to date. It’s a pity Emmanuel Adebayor is on compassionate leave, because his decent record against Swansea might have been handy.