Saturday 26th September
If recent history is anything to go by then on paper this game doesn’t scream ‘potential classic’ with the last three games between the two being won by the away side 1-0. In all the last seven games between the two have seen a total of just six goals. For the Saints it’s 2 wins in 12 (drawing 4, losing 6). They face a Swansea side who have conceded just 3 goals in their last 5 Premier League games although they have failed to score since their 2-1 win over Manchester United. Ryan Bertrand comes into start for the home side with Ki Sung-yueng starting for the visitors.
Swansea almost put their recent woes in front of goal behind them just 6 minutes into the game as a 25 yard effort by Jonjo Shelvey is met by goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg who parried the ball to the South Korean Ki who knocks his chance well over the bar. Warning signs early on for the Saints there.
On 8 minutes the home team have their best chance of the game so far but Sadio Mané didn’t connect at all well with that chance and his shot rolls past the right hand post. Two minutes later however there’s better news for the home fans as a corner ball is played in from the left and defender Dick Van Dyke, sorry Virgil van Dijk heads the ball into the net easily beating two Swans defenders to the ball. I’m not sure who blew out Swansea’s light since the win over United. Perhaps it was Louis van Gaal slamming the door shut on the way out from the Vetch but whoever it was, someone needs to come up with some magic for the Welsh side and soon. André Ayew, Bafétimbi Gomis and Jefferson Montero (who is sat on the bench today) all started the season in such spectacular form and all three have looked like shades of themselves since that win against United. Better on 22 minutes from the Swans as Ki drives in a shot from 20 yards but they eventually go into halftime still one goal down.
Nine minutes into the second half and Dušan Tadić pops up to score the Saints second although it took a deflection of Ki before going into the net. One for the dubious goals panel to decide me thinks but for now I will give the benefit of the doubt to the midfielder. On current form I can’t see Swansea getting back into this game now. Funny though if it was Leicester playing away at St Mary’s you could imagine them having the drive and energy to still try to get something before the end of the 90 minutes. More teams should take a leaf out of Ranieri’s side’s book.
As it turns out the Swans didn’t have to wait long for the final nail to be delivered in their coffin as Mané made up for his earlier miss to make the score a comfortable 3-0. Ashley Williams made an awful attempted clearance in the heart of the Welsh sides defence and it was all too easy for the Senegalese midfielder who said thank you very much and wasted no time in capitalising on the error.
Seven minutes before the end of time and José Fonte has a rush of blood to the head and fouls Neil Taylor in the penalty area. I have no idea what on earth the Portuguese player was thinking there but it hands the chance for the Icelandic international Gylfi Sigurðsson to prove he’s cool as ice in these situations and he scores from the spot to give the travelling supporters something to cheer about at last. That penalty was as straight down the centre of the goal as they come and you have to wonder how bad that would have looked had the keeper not dived and just stood still, but he didn’t so I will shut up.
Two minutes of normal time remaining and Montero who had come on from the bench provided the cross for Ayew who saw his header saved but even if it had gone it the score line would have been flattering to the visitors who were well beaten again here today by a Saints side that seems to be finding its feet once more under boss Ronald Koeman in recent weeks.
Two nil & we f**ked it up 