It's been eight years since Swansea City were last in the Premier League, and despite enduring two unsuccessful play-off campaigns in that period, the thought of returning to the promised land has increasingly felt like a pipe dream - until now...
Yes, we're only eight matches into the Championship season, but Matos' Swans are giving supporters genuine hope they can sustain a promotion assault into the latter stages of the campaign following a scintillating start.
A return of five wins and 17 points have propelled Swansea to the summit, and they're perched at the top of the standings on merit.
As such, their odds have been cut dramatically. 50/1 to win the Championship prior to the season commencing, the Swans are now 16/1 to win their first second tier title. For promotion, their odds have been slashed from 14/1 into 5/1.
Initially outsiders at 7/2 to achieve a play-off berth, Swansea have shortened into 8/13 for a top-eight finish.
bet365's Steve Freeth said: "As far as winning the Championship is concerned, it's still a big ask for Swansea.
"However, they're now odds-on to finish in the extended play-off places, carrying their decent form from the end of last season into the current campaign. Vitor Matos continues to impress following his new contract in the summer, Lawrence Vigouroux has excelled between the posts, and the side are no longer overly reliant on the goals of Žan Vipotnik, with the burden being shared across the squad."
A former member of Jurgen Klopp's staff at Liverpool who presided over the players making the transition from academy to first team, Matos arrived at the Swansea.com Stadium from Portuguese side Maritimo in November 2025 following Alan Sheehan's sacking.
Swansea had initially attempted to prise Kim Hellberg from Hammarby IF, but with the Swede heading to Middlesbrough instead, Matos' vision and commitment to an attacking brand of football made him a stand-out candidate to Swans chief executive Tom Gorringe.
At the time of Matos' appointment, Swansea were 20th. They dropped to 21st after his opening two league fixtures - one a frustrating 3-2 defeat away at West Brom despite leading by two goals after 11 minutes - but Matos was soon able to make his mark.
Quelling fears of a relegation battle, the Swans finished the campaign in 11th, nine points adrift of the play-offs. The cornerstone of their recovery was an impressive home record, with Swansea accruing 30 points from a possible 45. In that period, the only teams to take three points in SA1 were Derby County in Matos' first match in charge, league winners Coventry City and the in-form Southampton.
Swansea averaged 1.57 points per game under Matos, which extrapolated over a 46-game season would return 72 points - enough to thrust them into the play-offs in two of the previous four Championship seasons.
Asides from the notable improvement in results, it was the performances under Matos that were of great encouragement to the Jack Army. The foundations of Swansea's modern success were set by a commitment to playing an attractive, possession-based brand of football, an identity which had seemingly faded under Matos' predecessor Sheehan.
With Matos at the helm, Swansea are back playing football the 'Swansea Way'.
Stability, ambition and smart thinking at the top have aided Matos' cause. The club have been the subject of investment from high-profile figures including rapper Snoop Dogg and Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric, a boost to their commerical revenue and global visibility.
Their financial resource meant Matos was backed in the summer to the tune of £15m on transfer fees, but they had to spend shrewdly. A door opened at the end of the previous season to collaborate with the renowned Jamestown Analytics, the football analytics company linked to Brighton owner Tony Bloom that specialise in data-driven recruitment.
Whilst Swansea put their partnership with Jamestown to good use by unearthing hidden gems in Joseph Opoku from Zulte Waregem and Moussa Yeo from RB Salzbug, they also tapped into the Championship and Scottish Premiership for the additions of Ross Stewart, Elijah Just and Stephen Welsh, the latter emerging as an excellent acquisition on a free transfer.
Stephen Eustaquio, who played in every match for Canada at the 2026 World Cup, joined from Porto. Jeremy Monga, the precocious winger signed by Manchester City for in excess of £10m, was acquired on loan with Swansea deemed the best enviornment for him to evolve.
Swansea's business has reduced their reliance on last season's Championship top goalscorer Zan Vipotnik, who they've managed to retain despite interest from the Premier League and across Europe. Adam Idah, who played second fiddle to Vipotnik last term, has demonstrated he can effectively lead Swansea's line with three goals to start the season. They haven't even got former Southampton striker Stewart fit and firing, yet.
But argubaly the most eye-catching deal the Swans thrashed out in the summer was the decision to award Matos an extension on his current deal until 2030. So far, that commitment has been vindicated.
In a period where the superiority of possession-based teams has diminished, Swansea have unearthed a balance in dominating the ball whilst maintaining a rigid defensive stucture. No goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets than Lawrence Vigouroux, who has also conceded the fewest goals in the division, while the Swans' xG conceded of 9.6 is the fifth-best behind the likes of Wolves and Middlesbrough.
Swansea defend from the front, with no team in the Championship winning possession more frequently in the final third, but they recognise stages in matches where the trenches need to be dug and battle lines drawn. Their success over Lincoln City typified that, with Swansea managing to find a way to win despite the Imps' direct approach causing them numerous problems.
Matos has reiterated he does not give much attention to the league table, but if Swansea maintain their level of performance across the next few months, it will be hard for the 38-year-old to ignore the hype around his team.
Swansea City Championship odds
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