Swansea vs Saints
Match Centre
Swansea vs Saints As It Happened
Key moments so far
- Gabbiadini off the bench to set up critical win for Saints
- Italian replaced Bednarek late on
- Saints three clear of drop zone with one game to play
- McCarthy saved brilliantly from Ayew to keep scores level
A huge result!
Gabbi's scrambled finish has won it here but the job is not 100% done yet.
Still, fantastic full-time scenes in south Wales as Gabbi's late goal has earned a monumental three points.
FULL TIME: Swansea 0-1 Saints
YESSSS!!!!!! IT'S ALL OVER IN SWANSEA!!
SIX minutes of added time
😬😬😬
Chance to finish it!
Long gets free down the right side but can only fire into the side-netting....
COME ON, SAINTS!!!
🔥
McCarthy again!
Ki's whipped free-kick reaches Abraham in the middle whose firm header needs to be tipped over by McCarthy. Good save from the keeper but the flag was already up for offside.
Southampton substitution: Sam McQueen replaces Dušan Tadić
A standing ovation from the visiting supporters as Sam McQueen sprints on to take the place of Tadić.
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Swansea City substitution: Andy King replaces Tom Carroll
Tom Carroll on, Andy King off.
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FOCUS NOW, SAINTS.
What a huge goal that could be for Saints.
We've got 11 minutes of normal time to navigate here in south Wales...
Swansea City substitution: Luciano Narsingh replaces Kyle Naughton
Swansea react by making an attacking sub of their own. Luciano Narsingh on for Naughton.
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YESS!!!! GABBI!!!!!
UNBELIEVABLE! Saints lead!!! Fabianski keeps out Austin's shot at point-blank range but Gabbiadini is there to somehow bundle home in the six-yard box. YESS!!
GOOOAL!!!
Manolo Gabbiadini (72’) | 0 – 1
Southampton substitution: Manolo Gabbiadini replaces Jan Bednarek
No chance taken on the young Pole. Manolo Gabbiadini is on to take his place. Four at the back now for Saints.
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Concern for Bednarek
There's a break in play at Liberty Stadium while Jan Bednarek receives treatment for a collision with Alex McCarthy.
Southampton substitution: Shane Long replaces Nathan Redmond
First switch for Saints as Shane Long takes the place of Redmond.
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Swansea City substitution: Tammy Abraham replaces Martin Olsson
An attacking switch here for the hosts as striker Abraham replaces full-back Olsson.
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BIG chance for Saints!
Cédric delivers a peach of a cross from the right for Austin who heads straight at Fabianski from the penalty spot. He was unmarked...
Saints pressing
Saints are starting to get Cédric and Ryan Bertrand into the game now. The pair combine to force a flurry of corners as the pressure begins to rise.
Fabianski saves from Austin (again)
Tadić collects the ball on the half-turn and feeds Austin who recovers from a sloppy first touch to arrow a shot into the body of Fabianski from distance. Saints struggling to get a hold of the ball at the moment.
Magical McCarthy!
This is a stunning save from Alex McCarthy. Jordan Ayew darts inside from the touchline and curls for the far corner but the Saints keeper is equal to it, acrobatically flying to his left to palm over the top.
SECOND HALF: Swans 0-0 Saints
Back to it in south Wales, COYR!!!
A huge 45 minutes...
Tension wherever you are as a Saints fan tonight. The second half is coming right up from the Liberty Stadium, with both sides unchanged.
HALF TIME: Swansea 0-0 Saints
Swansea have had the physical edge in south Wales but the best chances have both fallen to Saints and Charlie Austin. Everything to play for after the break.
Austin on the volley!
Brilliant pressing from Saints carves out a really good chance for Chaz! Cédric pounces on a loose ball and crosses to the back post where Austin's firmly-struck volley is hit straight at Fabianski.
Yellow Card for Oriol Romeu (Southampton)
Saints under pressure here as we approach the 40-minute mark. Romeu goes into the book for a lunging tackle near the halfway line.
Clucas glances a header wide
Swansea have looked to cross the ball at every opportunity and they almost find a breakthrough with one of the better ones from the right. Sam Clucas darts into the box to glance a header wide of the far post.
Meanwhile at St Mary's...
Plenty of nerves on show at St Mary's where Saints fans have gathered to follow a live showing of tonight's game. Concern on their faces here but there's very little separating the two teams so far.
Fabianski saves from Austin
Much better from Saints. Højbjerg steps onto Redmond's lay-off inside the centre circle to feed Austin whose low drilled effort is well-held by Fabianski.
Austin shoots wide
Austin should be doing better here. Saints turn over possession in the middle of the Swansea half and suddenly have a 3-on-3. Redmond feeds it into the striker who drags a shot wide with Tadić well-placed and on the move to his left.
Ayew heads over
Swansea recycle the ball as Saints struggle to clear. Ki loops it back into the danger area for Jordan Ayew to head over the top under pressure from Hoedt.
McCarthy punches clear
Jordan Ayew is looking bright for Swansea. The Ghanaian races onto a long ball into the channel, stands up Cédric and crosses deep towards the back post but Saints' McCarthy is at hand to punch clear.
Yellow Card for Sung-yueng Ki (Swansea City)
First booking of the night goes to Sung-yueng Ki. The South Korean takes away the legs of Højbjerg with Saints looking to break quickly.
Saints getting settled
Plenty of ball now for Saints who are starting to find their feet at the Liberty Stadium. Højbjerg's pass into Redmond is intercepted by Naughton as another spell of promising build-up is cut short.
Hoedt and Bednarek deny Ayew
Half chance for Swansea; Ayews Jordan and André combine neatly on the edge of the box but Wesley Hoedt and Jan Bednarek converge to deny the latter on the slide.
McCarthy saves from King
The home side return in kind, Andy King stabs a shot goalwards from distance but Alex McCarthy gets down comfortably to gather the ball.
A first shot on target!
Redmond's persistence keeps the pressure on for Saints but the attack comes to an end as Ryan Bertrand's tame low shot is easily saved by goalkeeper Fabianski.
Cédric and Tadić combine
Saints have settled the quicker of the two sides, you have to say. A first feel of the ball here for Dušan Tadić whose clever backheel releases Cédric down the right but the cross is headed clear by Swans' Alfie Mawson.
Ayew into the wall
Energetic start here at the Liberty. Swans have the first sight of goal as Jordan Ayew's free-kick from just outside the box bounces off the Saints wall and away to safety.
LET'S GO, SAINTS!!!
Showtime in Swansea!
Pre-match mood.
COYR.
19.43
Counting down 🔥
Warm-ups well underway now in south Wales, 20 minutes until the biggest 90 minutes gets started.
19.24Jan: "We are ready"
Jan Bednarek has been a stand-out performer in Saints' recent revival and the Polish defender has been speaking to the Sky cameras ahead of kick-off here...
"We are looking forward to the game, we are ready. We want to win this game and we are well prepared. We can do it."
And now for the hosts...
Swansea XI: Fabianski, Roberts, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Ki
Sung-Yeung, King, Clucas, A.Ayew, J.Ayew
SUBS:
Nordfeldt, van der Hoorn, Carroll, Sanches,
Dyer, Narsingh, Abraham
THE TEAMS ARE IN
Saints XI to face Swansea: McCarthy; Cédric, Bednarek, Stephens, Hoedt, Bertrand; Redmond, Højbjerg, Romeu, Tadić; Austin.
SUBS: Forster, Long, Carrilllo, Gabbiadini, Ward-Prowse, McQueen, Sims
Determined faces
We have a full complement of Saints in south Wales. Here are the scenes as Mark Hughes's men headed in moments ago.
18.33Saints marching
Saints have arrived at the Liberty Stadium ahead of tonight's critical encounter which means just one thing: team news will be coming your way in just under half an hour's time.
18.19
18.08we've got two games left and everybody is writing the man city one off. we'll give that one a go as well, but clearly this is the one that will really decide our fate.
MARK HUGHESSOUTHAMPTON FC
2 hours to go!
The final countdown is well and truly on. Get up to speed ahead of Saints' arrival at the Liberty in 30 minutes with our in-depth match preview.
Featuring pre-match signs for optimism like these:
– Only one of Saints’ last five top-flight trips to Swansea has ended in defeat, with three wins and a draw in that run.
– Swansea’s current winless run (7) is second only to Stoke’s 13.
Away Dressing Room, Liberty Stadium, Swansea 📍
(Still) ready and waiting here too.
17.32The Liberty Stadium, Swansea 📍
Ready and waiting.
17.23Saints around the world
Around 2,000 Saints are expected in a sold-out away end at the Liberty Stadium. A lucky few will be at hand to roar us on as thousands more watch on from around the world.
Hundreds of fans will be checking in at St Mary's for a pre-match dinner and live screening so watch out for updates from closer to home too throughout the night.
Flashback: Swans 0-1 Saints
Shane Long was the hero in south Wales in the 2015-16 season, the Irishman's second-half header setting up a 1-0 win in February.
More of the same tonight please. 🙏
16.47it gives us faith: listening to the fans out there gives us even more. they believe, we believe and together we can go on to secure our premier league status.
NATHAN REDMONDSOUTHAMPTON FC
Together to Swansea
Ryan Bertrand's post-match words on Instagram below should tell you everything about Saints' mentality going into the game this evening. A repeat performance from Everton would be a perfect platform from which to build. Stronger, together. 👊
16.46Saints ready for Swans
Saints were in positive spirits at Staplewood Campus yesterday for their final session ahead of tonight's game. Draws with Everton and Leicester and victory over Bournemouth have seen us overtake Swansea who have collected three consecutive defeats in the same period. Any confidence and early momentum could be absolutely key in south Wales...
16.42Hughes on crunch clash in south Wales
It's been a quick turnaround for Saints following that dramatic (and heartbreaking) 1-1 draw with Everton. Here's what Mark Hughes had to say of this evening's clash from Goodison Park on Saturday.
Welcome to Matchday Live! 😇
They don't get much bigger than this.
It's Swans vs Saints, 18th vs 17th, a do or die battle at the Liberty Stadium tonight. A win for either side would go a long way to decide who stays in the Premier League. We're just under three hours from kick-off so don't go anywhere; stay with us for build-up, live team news, in-game updates and live audio commentary. COYR.
Swansea vs Saints Line Ups
Swansea City
| 1 |
Lukasz Fabianski (GK)
|
|---|---|
| 26 |
Kyle Naughton
Luciano Narsingh (75′)
|
| 6 |
Alfie Mawson
|
| 33 |
Federico Fernández (C)
|
| 24 |
Andy King
Tom Carroll (82′)
|
| 4 |
Ki Sung-yueng
|
| 52 |
Connor Roberts
|
| 16 |
Martin Olsson
Tammy Abraham (62′)
|
| 19 |
André Ayew
|
| 17 |
Sam Clucas
|
| 18 |
Jordan Ayew
|
Substitutes
| 10 |
Tammy Abraham |
|---|---|
| 11 |
Luciano Narsingh |
| 14 |
Tom Carroll |
| 13 |
Kristoffer Nordfeldt |
| 12 |
Nathan Dyer |
| 35 |
Renato Sanches |
| 5 |
Mike van der Hoorn |
Southampton
| 13 |
Alex McCarthy (GK)
|
|---|---|
| 5 |
Jack Stephens
|
| 6 |
Wesley Hoedt
|
| 35 |
Jan Bednarek
Manolo Gabbiadini (68′)
|
| 2 |
Cédric Soares
|
| 14 |
Oriol Romeu
|
| 23 |
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
|
| 21 |
Ryan Bertrand (C)
|
| 11 |
Dusan Tadic
Sam McQueen (83′)
|
| 10 |
Charlie Austin
|
| 22 |
Nathan Redmond
Shane Long (64′)
|
Substitutes
| 20 |
Manolo Gabbiadini |
|---|---|
| 9 |
Guido Carrillo |
| 16 |
James Ward-Prowse |
| 38 |
Sam McQueen |
| 39 |
Josh Sims |
| 7 |
Shane Long |
| 44 |
Fraser Forster |
Swansea vs Saints Match Stats
Head to Head Stats
-
Possession (%)5347
-
Shots1113
-
Shots on target38
-
Corners76
-
Passes Complete300253