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Tottenham Hotspur vs. Swansea preview: Welcome back to the Lane

Down with Wales.

Jamie McDonald

On Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur return to White Hart Lane for the first time this season and for their 115th season at the venerable venue. But the club's time at the Lane is ticking down as the NDP hums along and we creep closer to Spurs' new stadium.

For now, White Hart Lane still stands and on Sunday, 36,000 fans will pack it hoping the boys in white come away winners. That means continuing a week of Wales-hating and sending Swansea back home without anything to show for their trip to the capital.

Swansea enter the match relatively fit, with Nathan Dyer the only played injured, while Spurs are without Lewis Holtby and Emmanuel Adebayor. Benoit Assout-Ekotto is also likely to miss out and Gareth Bale is technically still part of the team so you can say he will be absent too, but that would be a pretty liberal definition of "part of the team" (and depending on who you believe, Adebayor may fall into this category as well).

The Swans were tapped as a team watch in the preseason, but they didn't look it last week against Manchester United. A bright start went for naught as the Red Devils punished Swansea's porous backline and Roberto Soldado will be foaming at the mouth.

Swansea scored five midweek in Europa League, but that was against Petrolul Ploiesti and they still did concede one at home. As promising as people may have thought Michael Laudrup's club were preseason, the first week of the season has not flattered them. Then again, it is the first week so who's to say anything about anyone.

This is Spurs' transition to Hate Wales Week 2. Do it.

Match date/time: Sunday, August 25; 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. GMT

Venue: White Hart Lane, London, England

TV: NBCSN (USA), Sportsnet World (Canada)

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