Stu Forster/Getty ImagesSwansea backup goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel in action last month versus Liverpool. Tremmel will once again man the pipes for the Swans on Saturday versus Norwich.

Saturday's tilt at the Liberty puts two sides against each other that haven't lost since before the Christmas adverts were on television. Both sides have new managers since last year, and both sides are flourishing. Swansea will be looking to take revenge against a Norwich side who beat them both home and away last season, while Norwich will be looking to escape to the East with at least a point in their pockets.

The Swans will be without Pablo for the second game running, but they might see Wayne Routledge return to balance the flanks. Missing both men didn't seem to hurt the Swans too much at the Emirates last week, but that fact shouldn't diminish the excitement of Routledge's possible return; the winger has been in the best form of his career so far this season.

Michael Laudrup will likely pitch a familiar starting eleven, with Michu a strong bet to start up front again, although if Danny Graham ever fancied his chances of breaking his arctic-strength cold streak, now would be the time. Graham scored all three of Swansea's goals against the Canaries last season.

- Laudrup warns clubs off Michu

What's more, the Geordie is officially fit again. Whether a return to the starting eleven at this point would constitute renewed belief from Laudrup or simply a bit of advertising ahead of the January transfer window will be a storyline worth keeping an eye on. Latest rumours have linked Graham with Norwich themselves, and also Sunderland, which would present the Newcastle-born striker with an interesting decision.

Whoever does start up front for Swansea will have backup Norwich 'keeper Mark Bunn to shoot at; John Ruddy, the Canaries mainstay backstopper and England international, is out of action with a nasty thigh muscle tear. It wasn't long ago that the Swans' own starting 'keeper Michel Vorm was ruled out with a similar, if less severe injury. Vorm has returned to training this week, but it'll be backup Gerhard Tremmel who will start once again.

A battle of the backups, then. In two games and eight minutes of action, Bunn has only conceded three goals. Tremmel, meanwhile, has conceded just four in six games and twenty minutes of league play since relieving Vorm 66 minutes into the 1-0 defeat away to Manchester City on October 27th.

Tremmel's impressive record equates to a goal conceded every 141 minutes, or one goal in every 1.57 games played. That's not bad at all, especially given that he's been playing in Vorm's cat-shaped shadow. For comparison, Manchester City and England 'keeper Joe Hart have been conceding a goal every 64 minutes (one goal in every 0.71 games played) this season. Granted, the City defence hasn't been as good as it could be. Nevertheless, for Tremmel -- a man who had played all of two games for the Swans prior to Vorm's injury -- those figures are very respectable indeed. Bunn's figures aren't too dissimilar to Hart's -- a goal conceded every 63 minutes (one in every 0.70 games played).

On paper at least, the Swans' superiority between the sticks (and by extension in defence overall), ought to see them edge through in the encounter. However, Chris Hughton's side are a well-drilled outfit, still composed of many of the same players who caused the Swans so many problems last season. The presence of Norwich wide midfielders Anthony Pilkington and new signing Robert Snodgrass might limit the forward runs of Swans' full-backs Angel Rangel and Ben Davies. As with any game against opposition who can field decent wingers, the Swans will need to get the right balance between attack and defence on the flanks to control the game.

Prediction: Swans to win, but I wouldn't be surprised if both sides draw blood.

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