Manolo Gabbiadini’s close-range second-half strike saw Southampton take a giant leap towards Premier League safety after securing a 1-0 win at Swansea.
The Swans are in deep trouble after the defeat and will go be all but down if Huddersfield get at least a point in one of their remaining two games, while they also have an inferior goal difference to the Saints.
The result also confirms West Brom’s relegation from the top flight.
In a tense first-half, both sides exchanged few chances, but Charlie Austin forced Lukasz Fabianski into a smart save, while Sam Clucas’ header drifted just wide.
The game opened up after the break and Alex McCarthy brilliantly tipped the ball over the bar to deny Jordan Ayew on 47 minutes.
Mark Hughes’ side also imposed themselves on the game as it progressed and it was Gabbiandini who latched onto a loose ball following a corner to fire the Saints into the lead, sending the travelling Southampton fans into pandemonium.
STAR MAN
It was certainly a game for the defences and Southampton’s Wesley Hoedt was the star performer.
The centre-back desperately unlucky to have the ball deflect off him in the Saints’ 1-1 draw at Everton last weekend but this time around he made a series of heroic blocks as Swansea appeared to run out of ideas on how to break their opponents down.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
It was a game where both sides were determined not to put a foot wrong, so it lacked real quality, but the moment of the match has to be Gabbiadini’s goal.
The striker has failed to build on the explosive start he made to his Saints career last season but his poacher’s finish set off a huge contrast in emotions in the stadium – delight for the Southampton fans and despair for the Swansea faithful.
WHAT THE MANAGERS ARE SAYING
Swansea boss Carvalhal insisted his players had not given up hope of staying in the league despite being in a perilous position.
He said: “At the end of the game all the lads had the feeling we deserved a bit more. We played to win. It was very emotional.
“We are not relegated yet. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow and at the weekend and we will try to do our part.
“The players were very honest. They gave everything. They played with everything.”
Meanwhile, Saints boss Hughes praised his side’s efforts. He said after the game: “It probably showed in my behaviour but it was a huge effort from everybody.
“Myself and my staff, we’ve come in and found a group of guys that needed a bit of direction. A little bit more belief in what they were doing and to a man they’ve worked their socks off.”
WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
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Source: Talksport
