Sandwiched in between difficult fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester United at home, this away trip to Swansea has become an important fixture in that context. Struggling towards the bottom of the league, the Swans haven't kicked on in the fashion they would have wanted to after surviving relegation last season, and they'll likely see this game as a much needed opportunity to get some points on the board in front of their home fans.
Town should expect a well drilled side who'll defend in numbers when required, in a similar manner to Burnley, just without the positive momentum behind them. Having switched for a 3-5-2 so a slightly more attacking 4-3-1-2 diamond in their last game, it's clear that the Welsh side know they're not creating enough going forwards, which is an area in which Town fans will empathise.
Not a million miles away from the type of fixture Palace away was on the opening day, if Town stick to what they know and play with the intensity and progressive attitude the Wagner philosophy calls for, there's no reason why this shouldn't be a positive result.
- Alfie Mawson vs Laurent Depoite / Steve Mounie
While he came in for a fair amount of praise toward the end of last season, he has struggled to regain that form so far this campaign. Currently the less reliable of the two Swansea central defenders, Federico Fernandez has been the stand out at the back. Winning less in the air than he should, being dragged out of position and making the sort of mistakes that overcompensating can often lead to, there's a chance here to Town to target him.
Whether it's Laurent Depoitre or Steve Mounie who's given the nod up front, the objective should be the same - drift toward Mawson's side of the field, engage him in the air and put him under pressure whenever he's on the ball. It's an area that can be exploited with relative ease, and with both Town forwards able to handle themselves physically both on the floor and in the air, it's certainly a route than should be explored.
At the very least, if you keep Mawson so busy he's essentially left to man mark your forward, it will create room for the likes of Ince and Kachunga to operate in against Fernandez, who will then be forced to do the job of two men, which should hopefully lead to Town having some joy in attack.
- Renato Sanches vs Aaron Mooy
Given the fanfare surrounding his arrival on loan from Bayern Munich, it's fair to say Sanches has been somewhat anticlimactic thus far. Clearly bereft of confidence, he's slowly finding his feet in the Premier League, which is understandable when you consider he's still only 20-years-old. An energetic box-to-box midfielder who can muck in on both ends of the park on his day, he'll likely be the player tasked with closing down Aaron Mooy, who's been the focus of several man marking assignments already this season.
Hopefully fresh enough to contribute in his usual fashion after going through two tight matches against Syria during the international break, Mooy will again be central to Town getting the most out of themselves in attack. If he's able to shake off the advances of Sanches, while simultaneously ensuring the young Portuguese doesn't suddenly have acres of space to play in himself, Town are likely to win the midfield arm-wrestle, which should stand them in good stead.
Tom Carroll, who'll play alongside Sanches, is essentially to Swansea what Mooy is to Town, has a brilliant touch and expansive passing range, but lacks the physicality and ease of movement to hurt Huddersfield in the same way Sanches could. It's imperative Town do shut Carroll down and give him limited time to perform, but by picking off on who is currently the weaker of the creative two - Sanches - it will leave Carroll with too much to do alone, which will further blunt an already questionable Swansea attack.
- Jordan Ayew vs Jonathan Hogg
While his goals and assists don't suggest that he's one of Swansea's more important players, his performances do. Excellent on the ball and an absolute menace when travelling at pace in possession, if there's anyone who's going to put the Huddersfield defence on the back foot, it's him.
While he'll have more to worry about than just Ayew, it would serve Jonathan Hogg well to keep an eye on the Ghanaian, and shut down the space ahead of him whenever he's fed by his midfield and turning in to space. With both Tammy Abraham and Wilfried Bony the type of striker who like playing off the shoulder, it's imperative that Town compress the space between midfield and defence, leaving Swansea less space to play in than they'd like.
One of few attacks to have returned less than Town's has, they can be frustrated and kept quiet with relative ease should the defensive unit be prepared to blunt them in the appropriate manner. While there's threat from the two forwards for Mathias Zanka and Christopher Schindler to consider, it's Ayew who is both their main supply line and bridge from midfield to attack. Stop him, and you can stop Swansea - that should be a priority for Huddersfield's main holding player.
You can follow Raj Bains on Twitter over on @BainsXIII , and his Huddersfield Town book Underdog is being published later in 2017. It is available to order now, with the opportunity to have the name of your choice printed in a fans list at the back of the book. Please visit www.gnbooks.co.uk or call 01274 735056.
