Swansea is undergoing a clear competitive metamorphosis since the arrival of Portuguese Vítor Matos as head coach, with the numbers highlighting a more effective, more aggressive team that is much closer to the ambitious spots in the Championship. Before Matos, in 16 games, the Welsh team averaged 1.06 points per match and had a win percentage of only 25%, reflecting a season start marked by inconsistency and proximity to the relegation zone. With the former Marítimo coach at the helm, in 14 games the average skyrocketed to 1.57 points per game and the win rate to 50%, a leap that places Swansea just five points away from the playoff spots in an extremely congested league. Offensive production follows this upward trend: goals per game increased from 0.94 to 1.36, while the average number of shots grew from 11.0 to 13.4, indicating a team more present in the final third. The so-called big chances – clear goal opportunities – also doubled, from 1.0 to 2.0 per game, reinforcing the idea that Swansea is now reaching the opponent's goal with more quality and not just with greater volume of attacks. There has also been progress on the defensive side, with goals conceded dropping from 1.38 to 1.07 per game. The improvement is closely linked to the increase in high turnovers, ball recoveries in advanced areas of the field, which rose from 5.4 to 7.5 per game, reflecting an identity based on high pressing and aggression without the ball, something the coach himself has emphasized in press conferences. In the 4-0 thrashing against Sheffield Wednesday, one of the games that bolstered these numbers, Swansea dominated territorially, recovered balls near the opponent's area, and limited the opponent to zero shots on target, exemplifying in practice the philosophy that the Portuguese coach seeks to instill. The message is simple and has been smoothly conveyed to everyone. It was in that match that Zan Vipotnik reinforced his status as the top scorer in the Championship, benefiting from a team that now arrives with more players and more speed to the finishing areas. Signed from Marítimo at the end of 2025, after a promising start to his career in Portugal and a stint as a development coach at Liverpool, along with a less successful period in Salzburg as Pepijn Lijnders' assistant, Vítor Matos was chosen by Swansea to implement a high-intensity possession game. This season, the main goal would be to start building a new identity for the Swans. In just a few weeks, the 37-year-old coach has managed to transform the team: more points, more wins, more goals scored, and fewer goals conceded, without giving up on a proactive idea that involves 'going onto the field and expressing oneself,' as he recently stated. Despite the competitive leap, Matos maintains a cautious discourse and refuses to openly talk about playoffs, reminding that a series of poor results could bring Swansea back closer to the lower part of the table. The main objective, as A BOLA knows, is to build something for the future. The first steps are, therefore, being taken firmly. Vítor Matos' Swansea is an ascending team, more confident and more dangerous, that has restored hope to a fanbase that was beginning to fear a year of suffering.
Matos Swansea Before Matos remains central to this story.
Matos Swansea Before Matos remains central to this story.
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