Report: Five-star Saints sink Swans

The visitors spurned two presentable opportunities to take the lead before Joe Aribo’s first goal in 14 months put Saints in front on 17 minutes.

Samuel Edozie played a key part in that goal, and had one for himself – his third in four games – three minutes into the second period following a calamitous moment in the Swansea defence.

Edozie’s replacement, Fraser, produced an impressive late cameo off the bench, starting with an exquisitely-taken third, a curling shot into the top corner to underline Saints’ dominance.

The substitute then added his second and Saints’ fourth, before setting up fellow replacement Ché Adams in stoppage time, as Martin’s side’s unbeaten run extended to 16 matches in style.

The manager handed a first start since August to captain Jack Stephens, back in the line-up four months to the day since the injury he picked up against Norwich in the summer.

Stephens started the game at right-back, with Ryan Manning preferred to James Bree on the opposite flank, as Kyle Walker-Peters was given a more advanced role.

Perhaps the intention was to confuse his former club, who know Martin’s approach so well, but it was the visitors who threatened to spring a surprise inside two minutes.

Joe Aribo is congratulated by returning captain Jack Stephens after scoring his first goal of the season

Jamie Paterson’s deep free-kick was directed back across goal by Ben Cabango and blazed over, admittedly on the stretch, by top scorer Jerry Yates.

That was the first warning. The second arrived on 13 minutes when Bashir Humphreys crossed from the right for former Portsmouth man Jamal Lowe, who arrived completely unmarked at the far post but could not control his volley.

In between those two scares, Saints had actually started the game brightly. Walker-Peters and Stephens both lost their footing at vital moments, while the two Armstrongs, Stuart and Adam, were unable to make the most of a counter-attacking opportunity in which Saints briefly held a numerical advantage.

When the breakthrough arrived, Swansea caretaker boss Alan Sheehan, previously first team coach at Saints under Nathan Jones, would have been ruing his side’s missed chances.

Samuel Edozie was at the heart of it, driving to the byline and pulling the ball back for Stuart Armstrong, whose shot hit his namesake but fell kindly for Aribo, whose follow-up found the bottom corner via a slight deflection.

Saints had been nice and positive, and were treating a sold-out St Mary’s to a Boxing Day feast.

When ex-Swan Manning trotted over to take a corner in front of the travelling fans, he endured a predictably frosty reception, but his reverse pass freed Walker-Peters, whose cutback for Adam Armstrong should have set up Saints’ second, but Carl Rushworth read the striker’s intentions and was down sharply to smother his low shot.

Saints’ 12-goal marksman forced the keeper to work twice as hard soon after, spinning to fire off a left-footed shot that had to be parried back into play, before the dangerous Edozie set off on another dash down the wing, pulling an inviting ball across goal that deserved a tap in from a teammate.

Samuel Edozie improvises to double Saints' lead three minutes into the second half

Saints’ only Achilles heel throughout their unbeaten run has been building on 1-0 leads, so Martin would have been delighted to see his team add a second so soon after half time.

It came courtesy of a present from an old flame, as Nathan Wood’s backpass was completely missed by Rushworth, allowing Edozie to backheel the ball over the line from just a couple of yards out.

Cabango tried in vain to keep it out, even using his hand to do so, but referee Keith Stroud awarded the goal and Saints had their two-goal cushion.

Edozie tried adding to his tally at the end of a sensational run from Walker-Peters as Saints moved up through the gears, before Martin turned to his bench to preserve the legs of Stuart Armstrong and Flynn Downes, as Will Smallbone and Charly Alcaraz were given more than half an hour to impress.

The in-form Edozie was also given a rest, along with skipper Stephens, with another three-day turnaround in mind.

But the substitutes were still keen to make their mark, and Fraser did exactly that with the goal of the game on 74 minutes.

Carrying the ball infield from the right, Adam Armstrong’s pass invited the winger to step on to it and curl and unstoppable first-time shot into Rushworth’s top-left corner, adding the gloss to another very accomplished Saints display.

Still Fraser was not finished, as the Scot added his second goal three minutes from time, burying Sékou Mara’s cutback into the roof of the net.

There was still time for the diminutive winger to add an assist to his 20-minute cameo, as Rushworth struggled to deal with his chipped cross and Adams crashed home on the volley from just a couple of yards out, as Martin’s replacements gave the boss further food for thought over the hectic festive period.

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

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

Goals: Aribo (17’), Edozie (48’), Fraser (74’, 87’), Adams (90+3’).

Yellow cards: Bednarek, Aribo.

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

Unused substitutes: Fisher, Darling, Naughton, Walsh.

Yellow cards: Cullen, Tymon, Fulton, Allen.

Referee: Keith Stroud.

Attendance: 30,279.