Report | Southampton 5 Swansea City 0

Swansea City suffered defeat on the road at Southampton on Boxing Day with goals for Joe Aribo, Sam Edozie, Ryan Fraser (2) and Che Adams giving the hosts all three points at St Mary's.

The Swans had fashioned a couple of good chances before Aribo’s deflected opener and were in the game at half-time, only for a mistake at the back to gift a second to the home side with Edozie finishing from close range.

Substitute Fraser further compounded matters for the Swans with a brace after being introduced with 20 minutes remaining, before Adams added a fifth in injury time.

Caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan had made three changes to the side that earned a late win against Preston North End last time out. Nathan Wood returned to make his first start since returning from injury, while there were also places in the starting XI for Liam Cullen and Jerry Yates.

Harry Darling and Liam Walsh dropped to the bench, however, Josh Key – who exited the field with an injury on Friday – didn’t make the squad.

Ben Cabango, meanwhile, lined up for his 150th league appearance for the Swans.

The Swans fashioned two big chances during the early going.

Yates volleyed over from close range after Cabango squared a ball across the face of goal from a Jamie Paterson free-kick, before Jamal Lowe got too much power on his side-footed effort after being picked out by Bashir Humphreys at the far post.

At the other end, the Saints got into some good early positions, with Cabango making an important intervention to nick the ball off Adam Armstrong as the home side created a four-on-two counter-attack.

The home side’s opener had a slice of fortune about it. Edozie got the better of Humphreys on the Swans right, before cutting it back to Aribo. His effort from the edge of the box was heading straight at Carl Rushworth but took a horrible deflection off Wood’s shin which took it into the net off the inside of the post.

The goal lifted a home side who had not tasted defeat for 15 games, and Armstrong had two chances in quick succession, which both drew good stops from Swansea keeper Rushworth.

The Swans got off to the worst possible start in the second half when Edozie was presented with a golden opportunity inside three minutes of the restart.

Wood’s backpass was missed by Rushworth as he attempted to clear, leaving Edozie to chase the ball across the six-yard box, with the goal gaping.

The winger backheeled an effort on targe and, despite initially looking as though Cabango had done enough to keep it out, the officials confirmed the ball had in fact crossed the line.

Swansea had chances to respond, creating two chances in quick succession. Joe Allen – who made his first appearance since September – teed up Ollie Cooper from 12 yards, but his tame right-footed effort was easily saved by Gavin Bazunu.

Jamie Paterson then weaved his way down the Swans left, and his shot towards the far post was deflected for a corner with Cooper waiting.

The Swans fate was sealed when substitute Fraser curled an excellent first-time right-footed effort beyond Rushworth to finish off a sweeping forward move, after the home side pinched the ball back high up the pitch.

The Scot then added another with a rising strike from a cutback, before his compatriot Adams added a fifth in injury time when Fraser's cross was tipped away by Rushworth, but only as far as the striker who fired into the roof of the net.

Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Jay Fulton (Joe Allen 59’), Ben Cabango, Matt Grimes (captain), Jerry Yates (Charlie Patino 59’), Jamal Lowe (Yannick Bolasie 70’), Jamie Paterson (Mykola Kuharevich 78’), Josh Tymon, Liam Cullen (Ollie Cooper 46’), Nathan Wood, Bashir Humphreys.

Unused substitutes: Andy Fisher, Harry Darling, Kyle Naughton, Liam Walsh.

Southampton: Gavin Bazunu, Kyle Walker-Peters, Ryan Manning, Flynn Downes (Will Smallbone 57’), Jack Stephens (captain) (Che Adams 70’), Joe Aribo, Adam Armstrong (Sekou Mara 79’), Stuart Armstrong (Carlos Alcaraz 57’), Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Sam Edozie (Ryan Fraser 70’), Jan Bednarek.

Unused substitutes: Joe Lumley, Mason Holgate, Sam Amo-Ameyaw, Tyler Dibling.

Referee: Keith Stroud

Attendance: 30,279