Premier League:

Swansea City 2–1 Southampton

Goals from Alfie Mawson and Gylfi Sigurdsson secured back to back Premier League wins for Swansea City for the first time this season – and continued the club’s recent revival under new manager Paul Clement.

And fittingly, the goals came from the home side’s two best players on the night, with the outstanding Mawson heading in a Sigurdsson corner to give his side a half time lead, and after Shane Long levelled in the second half for the visitors, it was the Icelander who proved the match-winner as he volleyed home debutant Luciano Narsingh’s cross.

And yet it was the visitors who dominated possession in the early stages, as Dusan Tadic set Long free down the right edge of the area – but he was unable to keep his angled shot down.

But after a slow start, The Swans took command and replays suggested they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty 19 minutes in when Sigurdsson’s corner flicked the head of Fernando Llorente and struck the hand of Jack Stephens.

The same Swansea combination threatened again when Sigurdsson found the Spaniard with a free kick, but although this time he forced away keeper Fraser Forster into a save with his header – the flag was already up for offside.

Sigurdsson continued to exert his influence, firing a 25 yard shot straight at Forster, before at the other end Leroy Fer wastefully gave the ball away to Long, but recovered superbly to dispossess the striker.

And it was Fer who then had a big hand in Swansea’s opener, pouncing on a knock down from Sigurdsson to drive a 18 yard shot that Forster did well to tip around the post.

However, from the resultant corner the home side led – when the unmarked Mawson headed yet another Sigurdsson cross high into the net at the near post to give his side a 37th minute lead.

Swansea continued to press before the break and Sigurdsson continued to be at the heart of the play, skipping past two tackles before seeing his deflected left shot pushed over by Forster.

Clement’s men seemed to continue their momentum early in the second half as both Fer and Sigurdsson had dangerous low crosses scrambles away to safety – but it was then that Claude Puel’s side, who reached the League Cup final last week, got a foothold in proceedings.

Puel brought on Sofiane Boufal for Tadic 56 minutes in, and two minutes after coming on, the substitute linked with skipper Steven Davis, who in turn set full back Ryan Bertrand down the left wing – and his low cross was turned in by Long at the near post.

Boufal then had a direct hand in another big Southampton chance, getting the better of Federico Fernandez in the Swansea area to tee up Nathan Redmond, who wildly sliced his shot off target when the left winger should have done better.

Redmond then did far better with a rising shot from outside the area that home keeper Lukasz Fabianski tipped over the bar – but from the resultant Southampton corner, it was Swansea who struck.

Tom Carroll led the break upfield and fed winger Narsingh, who had come on for his first Swansea appearance just four minutes beforehand, and ensured his first real contribution was a significant one, as he cut inside Bertrand and chipped a cross for Sigurdsson – who swivelled his body superbly to guide a left foot volley past Forster into the far corner for what proved to be a 70th minute winner.

But only after Swansea withstood a barrage of late Southampton pressure, as Bertrand’s ball in narrowly evaded Long, and Oriol Romeu’s deep cross was headed inches wide of the far post by Maya Yoshida.

Fabianski then bravely denied Long by gathering Josh Sims’ driven cross, and in the dying moments the outstanding Mawson, who gave his most assured display in a Swansea shirt yet since joining from Barnsley in August, flung himself to the ground to divert Boufal’s shot for a corner.

The latter then went down in the area after clashing with Swansea substitute Angel Rangel – only for referee Roger East to book the Moroccan for diving.

And moments later, it was East that blew the final whistle to prompt a huge roar of relief around the Liberty Stadium – with Clement himself making no secret of his jubilation.

Indeed, it was his side’s third league win in four games since his appointment, with both players and supporters a far cry from the group that seemed destined for certain relegation pre-Christmas.

Swansea City: Lukasz Fabianski, Kyle Naughton, Alfie Mawson, Federico Fernandez, Martin Olsson (Angel Rangel 76), Wayne Routledge (Luciano Narsingh 60), Leroy Fer (Ki Sung-Yueng 72), Tom Carroll, Jack Cork (capt), Gylfi Sigurdsson, Fernando Llorente.

Subs not used: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Jordi Amat, Borja, Nathan Dyer.

Southampton: Fraser Forster, Cedric Soares, Maya Yoshida, Jordy Clasie (Sam McQueen 76), Ryan Bertrand, Steven Davis (capt), Dusan Tadic (Sofiane Boufal 56), Oriol Romeu, Jack Stephens, Nathan Redmond (Josh Sims 76), Shane Long.

Subs not used: Stuart Taylor, Florin Gardos, Harrison Reed, Pierre Hojberg.

Referee: Roger East.

Assistant referees: Jake Collin and Harry Lenard.

Fourth official: Stephen Martin.