Southampton v Swansea Competition- Sky Bet Championship Venue - St Mary’s Date - 18 October 2025 Kick off - 12:30pm Following their disappointing 1-3 home defeat against Leicester, next up for Alan Sheehan’s Swansea squad is a fixture against another of last season’s relegated PL teams, Southampton. Two weeks ago, Jordan James, Abdul Fatawu and Jannik Vestergaard were all on target as Leicester ended their run of draws with an impressive 3-1 victory against the Swans. Leicester led early on thanks to James' thumping drive before Swansea hauled themselves back into the contest through Adam Idah's second-half penalty. Fatawu then restored the Foxes' advantage as he whipped the ball into the top corner from outside the area, before the winger went close to an extraordinary second goal when he hit the bar from almost 50 yards out. With the Swans’ resistance broken, Marti Cifuentes' team wrapped up the points as Vestergaard headed home when Luke Thomas' free-kick was not properly cleared. After four successive draws, Leicester's first win since late August saw them climb to third in the Championship table whilst the Swans slipped to 11th having been beaten at home for only the second time since Alan Sheehan took charge in February. On the same day, Patrick Agyemang's first Derby County goal earned a point against improving Southampton but the Rams are still without a home win this season. The American headed in Andreas Weimann's delightful floated cross five minutes before the break to cancel out Adam Armstrong's fine early individual effort. An open and entertaining game full of chances, and excellent goalkeeping by Derby's Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and counterpart Alex McCarthy, saw the hosts respond impressively to the Armstrong opener, with the outstanding Carlton Morris and Weimann both going close. The Saints also created plenty of opportunities, most notably when Armstrong shot wide after the break. But neither team could find a winner, leaving Derby with just one league victory this season and Southampton with just two from their nine matches. The Swans have played the Saints on 76 previous occasions, winning 21, losing 39 and drawing 16. In the corresponding match 2 seasons ago, the Saints ran out easy 5-0 winners: Turning to tomorrow, Southampton boss Will Still has said that striker Ross Stewart will be "out for a substantial period" with a hamstring injury, possibly until the New Year. As for Alan Sheehan, he will be heading back to the club where he spent "half an hour" on the coaching staff and hoping that the Swans will put up a better fight than on the previous league visit to Southampton. For Sheehan, the fixture means a reunion with former employers: the Swans boss spent three months as Southampton's first-team coach under Nathan Jones during the 2022-23 Premier League season. The referee tomorrow is Josh Smith. The Peterborough-born official followed in the footsteps of his father when he picked up the whistle in 2006 to oversee a Peterborough and District Junior Alliance League game aged just 14. Nine years later he was added to the EFL Assistant Referee list and completed three years before choosing to specialise as a referee. He received successive promotions and quickly returned to the EFL on the referees list. Saturday will be the eighth Swans match Smith has officiated in his career. One of those matches was the historic 4-0 south Wales derby win at the Cardiff City Stadium in 2022. In the current campaign, he has overseen six matches, handing out 16 yellow cards and one red. Tomorrow, Smith will assisted by Alex James and Sam Lewis. Gavin Ward will be the fourth official. As for the outcome, I fear that Southampton have started to get their act together, plus the fact that we rarely do well after an International break, so I think that we will lose 3-1. Hope I’m wrong
Cheers Taff and well done Franco - he's had enough attempts! Now can I confirm kick off time? only joking I have a feeling Southampton will win as well. Not really sure where we are yet, in regards to playing style or tactics. Hopefully wrong and things will click. Who knows.
I know it’s down the road for me, but I’m avoiding this one. We don’t do well down St Mary’s so 2-0 Scum!!
Thanks Taff and well played GF As far as the score goes I can't predict.But,what I can predict is a Swans win. Safe trip to all that travel.
The table this morning after Boro’s win over Ipswich Defeat today and we will be in the bottom half, meaning that QPR on Wednesday is becoming a ‘must win game’ …..
Alan Sheehan: "I think it's another team with a new manager transitioning into a way they want to play. "We've had Leicester [before the international break] and we have Southampton, Ipswich and Manchester City in this block coming up, so four teams that were in the Premier League last year. "It's definitely not a game to underestimate. Southampton are a difficult team with individuals that are highly capable for the level." Will Still: "We have a clear goal and objective for the coming months. "We're just going to work to pick up as many points as we can before the next break, we can't look for excuses or feel sorry for ourselves. "It's the Championship so it is always going to be difficult and we have to get on with it."
Alan Sheehan will assess the fitness of his international contingent when he is finally able to bring his full squad together ahead of Saturday’s trip to Southampton. The Swans saw a number of players represent their countries at senior level, with Ben Cabango, Liam Cullen, Ethan Galbraith, Adam Idah, Jisung Eom, Cameron Burgess, Lawrence Vigouroux and Mark Stamenic among them. That has left head coach Sheehan with a limited group to train with during the international break, with a number of players reporting back to Fairwood later in the week. And he will assess how they have come through their international exertions before making a final decision over the make-up of his squad to face the Saints.
Swansea City make two changes for the first game back after the international break as Zeidane Inoussa and Ethan Galbraith return to the starting line-up to face Southampton at St Mary’s. Winger Inoussa comes in for Jisung Eom, while Galbraith starts ahead of Liam Cullen, with Alan Sheehan’s side otherwise unchanged from the defeat to Leicester City. That means Lawrence Vigouroux continues in goal behind a defence of Josh Key, captain Ben Cabango, Cameron Burgess and Josh Tymon. Galbraith slots into midfield alongside Marko Stamenic and Goncalo Franco, while Inoussa and Ronald will occupy the flanks. Zan Vipotnik will once again lead the line for the visitors on the south coast. Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Marko Stamenic, Goncalo Franco, Ethan Galbraith; Ronald, Zeidane Inoussa, Zan Vipotnik. Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Jay Fulton, Melker Widell, Malick Yalcouye, Jisung Eom, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Liam Cullen, Kaelan Casey, Adam Idah. Southampton: Alex McCarthy, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Adam Armstrong (captain), Ronnie Edwards, Leo Scienza, Nathan Wood, Cameron Archer, Caspar Jander, Shea Charles, Welington, Elias Jelert. Substitutes: Gavin Bazunu, Ryan Manning, Flynn Downes, Jack Stephens, Finn Azaz, Tom Fellows, Ryan Fraser, Damion Downs, Jay Robinson.
I've always hated the saints go marching in song. Nothing to do with Southampton either. It's just dreadful. Fingers crossed for a performance.
I get worried when you're optimistic You can tell they were in the Prem last season as their play acting is Prem level
Our defence worries me. Not closing them down enough. I wish we'd put more crosses into the box as well.
