Southampton thrash Swansea City to move up to third in Championship

Supporters were served a festive treat as the hosts took the lead in the first half through Joe Aribo's deflected strike finding the bottom corner.

Excellent Sam Edozie took advantage of a mix-up in the Swansea defence to backheel in a second and crown an impressive individual performance.

Ryan Fraser came on with 20 minutes remaining and he soon made his mark when he curled in a stunning effort from the edge of the box.

The Scot added another in similar fashion before assisting Che Adams to finish off the scoring in added time.

Saints boss Russell Martin, managing against the club he left in the summer for the first time, brought captain Jack Stephens into the starting line-up.

The 29 year old was picked as a right-back with Kyle Walker-Peters deployed further forward in the first league meeting between the sides since May 2018.

It was the visitors who almost took the lead in the opening two minutes but Jerry Yates was unable to turn in from Ben Cabango's knockdown.

They went close again 10 minutes later when a cross from the right found former Portsmouth man Jamal Lowe in plenty of space but he volleyed harmlessly over the bar.

Swansea were punished for those missed chances as on 17 minutes, Edozie's driving run helped to set up Aribo, whose deflected shot found the bottom corner.

Saints were beginning to find their rhythm after that and they almost made it 2-0 moments later when some neat work between Ryan Manning and Walker-Peters set up Adam Armstrong.

His shot, though, was straight at Carl Rushworth and he was then denied again by the Swansea goalkeeper before the half-hour mark when another effort was pushed away.

The Geordie forward had not scored in five Championship matches against Swansea and he was determined to end that particular drought. 

Swansea were fortunate to still have 11 men on the pitch when the already booked Liam Cullen performing a professional foul on Manning - the referee did not feel it was worthy of a booking.

That led to Martin having a heated discussion with the fourth official as he tried to make his case for a sending-off just before half-time.

Saints began the second half on the front foot and they were helped to the second goal by their Welsh opponents.

Rushworth miskicked a backpass after pressure from A Armstrong and Edozie was on hand to backheel the ball toward the goal with his effort being deemed to have gone over the line.

The young winger had deserved that moment after he had tormented Bashir Humphreys for much of the game.

The hosts went three goals to the good with 15 minutes remaining when A Armstrong fed substitute Fraser and he curled a shot into the top corner.

They did not have to wait long to get the fourth goal as Mara broke in behind before laying off to Fraser who slammed the ball into the roof of the net.

Saints were celebrating a fifth goal in added time as Fraser dinked to the back post and his fellow Scotland international Adams bundled in on the volley.

Southampton have only produced one longer league unbeaten run in the club's history; a 19-match spell in the old Third Division between September 1921 and January 1922.

Saints: Bazunu; Stephens (Adams,71), Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Downes (Smallbone, 57), Walker-Peters, Aribo; S Armstrong (Alcaraz, 57), Edozie (Fraser, 71), A Armstrong (Mara, 79)

Unused Subs: Lumley, Holgate, Dibling, Amo-Ameyaw.

Booked: Bednarek, Aribo.

Swansea City: Rushworth; Humphreys, Cabango, Wood, Tymon; Fulton (Allen, 59), Grimes; Lowe (Bolasie, 71), Paterson (Kukharevych, 79), Yates (Patino, 59); Cullen (Cooper, 46).

Unused Subs: Fisher, Darling,  Naughton, Walsh.

Booked: Cullen, Fulton, Tymon, Allen.

Referee: Keith Stroud.

Attendance: 30,279.

Goals: Aribo 17', Edozie 49', Fraser 74', Fraser 87', Adams 93'.