SWANS: Matos warns clean sheet record can change quickly before Southampton trip

Vitor Matos says Swansea City must take care of a defensive record that has become the best in the English Football League as they look towards a promotion bid.

The Championship leaders have conceded once in five games, fewer than any other side in the four divisions, and Saturday’s goalless draw with Wrexham gave them four clean sheets in their opening five league games for the first time since 1978-79.

“It’s good, but we know it can change quite quickly. We all know how the league is and how the results are,” the head coach said.

“That is something that we need to take care of, of course. It’s important for us.”

The Portuguese wants the same consistency at the other end of the pitch.

“Being consistent is massive, keeping the desire is massive. Not getting frustrated when the game gets a little bit different from what we want is also important,” he said.

“You have to stay competitive in the moment, whatever the game and whatever the situation, and I think we are showing that.

“The next step is to keep improving, keep using the squad, because all the players will need to be ready to make an impact whether they are starting or coming from the bench.

“That’s what we want in terms of togetherness and building that type of culture. We are doing that early in the season, but there are a lot of things to work on and improve.”

A ground that owes them nothing

Swansea travel to the south coast this evening with 11 points from the first 15 available, and last began a season with a six-match unbeaten run in 2019-20.

History at St Mary’s offers rather less encouragement. Swansea have won one of their past 16 league visits, drawing four and losing 11, that solitary victory a 1-0 Premier League win in February 2015. They have not scored there in any of their past four league games.

Southampton have won six of the past seven meetings between the clubs in all competitions, drawing the other, and have not lost to the Swans since January 2017.

They have been formidable at home under Tonda Eckert, too. Since his first home league game in charge last November, no side in the Championship has taken more home points than Southampton’s 44.

The Saints reached the play-offs last season only to be removed as punishment in the spying controversy, and start this campaign in 19th after a six-point deduction, though they are unbeaten in four since an opening-day defeat by Watford and are widely fancied to contend again.

There is a first available to Swansea. They have never won each of their first three away games of a league season.

Team news

Ben Cabango came through his return from a heel injury as a second-half substitute against Wrexham, and will compete with Stephen Welsh and Filip Lissah for a place at centre-half.

With the fixtures coming thick and fast, Matos may rotate to freshen tired legs, with Josh Key among those who could make way in a more defensive selection. Marko Stamenic will hope to return to the midfield after being rotated at the weekend.

Cameron Burgess, Ross Stewart and Gonçalo Franco are all sidelined.

Jeremy Monga is in contention, having missed out against Wrexham because of his limited time on the training field since completing his loan move from Manchester City.

Up front, Zan Vipotnik will push Adam Idah for the starting berth, last season’s top scorer having played a peripheral role from the bench so far this campaign.

Kick-off at St Mary’s is at 7.45pm.