Glenn Murray has scored as many goals in the Premier League as Alexis Sanchez - and he has a better strike rate.

The deeper you delve into the numbers, the more impressive it becomes for Albion's leading marksman.

Murray's best-ever Premier League tally of eight goals makes him top scorer outside the top nine teams in the table.

Only four Englishmen are above him - Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy (below), Raheem Sterling and Wayne Rooney.

The Argus: Not bad for a 34-year-old playing for a promoted side and labelled by BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson, the former Albion defender, as "more of a Championship player".

Murray said: "The only thing I had to prove is to myself. I always believed I could do it, given the opportunity.

"It's my best return in the Premier League but this is the biggest opportunity I have been given in the Premier League as well.

"So I believe given the opportunity I've always produced at this level."

Murray's overall Premier League record of 19 goals in 77 appearances warrants context.

He has represented three freshly promoted clubs in Albion, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.

His record with the Seagulls this season could, by his own admission, have been even better but he is not playing for Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs, Leicester, Manchester City or Everton.

Murray's status as best of the rest among the 11 clubs scrapping for survival matters less than Albion's position in the table.

He said: "It's about more than that, it's about staying in the division - and I always want more.

"There have been missed opportunities, even though I have probably scored more than I've missed.

"To narrow that gap is the aim and I think for us to just maybe create more opportunities as well.

"It's a very difficult balance, being a newly promoted club, of how much you come out and play and how progressive you are.

"For most Premier League teams I've played for the main thing is to keep the back door shut, rather than to outscore teams.

"Therefore, playing as a striker in a newly promoted club, it's difficult.

"I'm sure there would be a progression but whether it's the second or third season I'm not entirely sure, but there would be a slight progression over time. I am sure we will do that as a squad. It will happen naturally and not overnight."

The Argus: First things first. Albion need to remain in a division which has changed since Murray (above) first entered it five years ago with Palace, nursing knee damage sustained in the play-offs against Albion.

He said: "I think there's a lot more teams of a similar ilk. The main thing is it's just even bigger to stay in the Premier League. It's integral to all of these clubs.

"They fight so hard and they go out in January and spend a lot of money, as we have. It's just so important to stay in this top division."

The fight continues against fellow strugglers Swansea at the Amex today, with Murray poised to return to the starting line-up after the FA Cup and January acquisitions Jurgen Locadia and Leo Ulloa (below) on the bench. Albion are a point above the Welshmen, two clear of the relegation zone.

The Argus: Once their own business has been taken care of, Murray and his team-mates will be as eager as everyone else to discover how Huddersfield got on at West Brom, Southampton at Burnley, Newcastle at Bournemouth.

"If someone had offered us 14th position in late Feb, early March, we would happily have accepted it," he said. "But to see how tight the table is, it's just ridiculous.

"Every week a point is so valuable, none more so than this weekend. If we can get three against a relegation candidate it would be huge for us.

"We came off against Stoke. I think we could have won the game and we ended up lucky to get out with a point.

"We come off and all check our apps and things and the scores and it's like '(Sigh), they won again or they picked a point up'.

"It can be a bit demoralising sometimes but the main thing is that we stay roundabout where we are, rather than going any lower."

Swansea were bottom under Paul Clement before Carlos Carvalhal resuscitated them. Albion have never been bottom and not in the relegation zone since August.

They were eighth when Murray's goal divided the sides at the Liberty Stadium in November.

"It is not necessarily harder (today) but different," Murray said. "They are in-form at the moment, they're confident, so it's a very different beast we are facing."

With an evergreen goal hunter to tame them.