Read a match report and watch highlights from Southampton v Swansea.
Southampton maintained their fine early-season form by beating Swansea City 2-0 at St Mary’s to climb to fourth place in the Premier League table.
Goals in each half from Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side a third consecutive win.
The hosts were also indebted to a fine performance by goalkeeper Artur Boruc, who produced a string of eye-catching saves to safeguard a fourth successive clean sheet.
Michael Laudrup’s Swansea remain 14th, two points above the relegation places.
Danny Fox deputised at left back for Southampton due to Luke Shaw’s absence through illness, while Swansea forward Michu played in a scrum cap after injuring his head in Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win at home to St Gallen.
Jonjo Shelvey was one of five players drafted into the visiting line-up and he almost gifted Southampton an early lead by giving the ball away in a dangerous position, only for Dani Osvaldo to shoot over.
The home side had started intently and they took a 19th-minute lead when Lallana lashed the ball home from Steven Davis’s incisive pass.
Swansea began to push for an equaliser, however, and the Southampton goal came under increasing threat.
Boruc clawed away a Michu header and saved a low shot from Shelvey, before former Southampton winger Nathan Dyer gathered a back-heel from Wilfried Bony and slammed a shot against the inside of the post.
Lallana teed up Rickie Lambert for a header that missed the target at the other end, but Swansea were soon back on the attack.
Boruc plunged to his left to parry a header from Bony and stood up well to deny Michu, while Bony headed over and Shelvey shot wide in the early stages of the second half.
Shelvey then whipped a free-kick over the bar after Jose Fonte felled Bony right on the edge of the Southampton 18-yard box.
Southampton survived, however, and after Victor Wanyama had seen a goal ruled out for a foul, Rodriguez sealed victory in the 83rd minute after out-muscling Chico Flores.
Watch official match highlights here.
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