Southampton Win… Again!

Southampton went into the international break in fourth place with a third straight win, after goals from Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez guided them to a 2-0 victory at home to Swansea yesterday.

Southampton broke the deadlock after 19 minutes with some good work down the right by Adam Lallana. Lallana fired in a cross which Swansea defender Chico Flores failed to clear, the ball ended up with Steven Davis who fed a through on goal Lallana to smash it into the roof the net.

Adam Lallana celebrates after giving Southampton the lead – Credit @SouthamptonFC

Swansea then showed the class that saw them win the League Cup last season, with Southampton having to call upon keeper Artur Boruc to keep them in the game. Boruc excellently denied a close range header from Michu and pulled off a full length dive to stop a goal bound header from Wilfried Bony.

Swansea had the better of the play for much of the first half and were unlucky to not go in at half time on level terms. Nathan Dyer saw his shot come off the inside of the post and roll across the goal mouth only to go for out a goal kick following a clever backheel from Bony.

Swansea continued to have the better of the play in the second half but were again unable to convert their chances, with Dyer, Bony and Jonjo Shelvey all squandering goal scoring opportunities.

On the 76 minute mark Southampton were incorrectly awarded a corner. Swansea were almost made to pay as Victor Wanyama poked the ball over the line only for referee Mike Dean to blow for shirt-pulling in the box.

The points were sealed after 83 minutes when the Swansea City central defenders were unable to deal with a long ball from Artur Boruc. Substitute Jay Rodriguez duly capitalized, chesting the ball down and neatly firing past Michel Vorm into the bottom corner.

Another 3 points and another clean sheet for Southampton who now boast the league’s best defence, having only conceded 2 goals this term. For Swansea it was one of ‘those days’ where nothing seemed to go right for them.

The Saints go marching on into fourth and we here at The Tab will be there every step of the way.

Tab Stat: Southampton have kept four successive clean sheets in the Premier League for the first since September 2003.