Tonda Eckert highlights Southampton bravery after win over Swansea

Saints swarmed the Swans in the first half by passing out from the back, with Finn Azaz and Cyle Larin getting on the scoresheet.

Leo Scienza settled things in the second half, and Eckert said: “We played the top of the league today and there are different approaches to those games.

“We decided to go very brave today and I think that was important.

“Swansea start games with a lot of intensity and we wanted to match that and we came out on top. The boys did that in an outstanding manner from the start and then we were 2-0 up.

“We had the courage to play and that is what I told the boys that is what I was proud of today.

“For the quality we have high up the pitch, we have to get them involved in plenty of situations. It is very hard to stop those boys.”

Saints’ last two home matches have come against the team sitting on top of the table at the start of the day – with both ending in comfortable victories.

They are also on a 13-match unbeaten run at St Mary’s but Eckert is wary of hyping his side’s form on home turf.

He added: “We have to keep backing it up at home game after game. If I start talking out about how strong we are at home we could have problems against Bristol City on Saturday.

“We have to do it again and then do it again and then again. The reality is the crowd is fantastic and the ground staff are doing an unbelievable job to keep the pitch in such a great condition.”

Azaz kicked off the scoring with a sweet finish into the bottom corner in the ninth minute before Larin notched his fifth goal of the campaign when he slipped in James Bree’s centre.

Brazilian Scienza made the points safe 12 minutes from time with a cool finish.

Swansea had not lost before coming to the south coast, and had only conceded once.

And Swans chief Vitor Matos, whose side lost top spot to West Ham, said: “Southampton was the better team tonight. We lacked our intensity and aggressiveness in the first half that gave them the initiative.

“Southampton punished us with two goals and then in the second half we were much more aggressive and tried to push them deep and that allowed us to arrive with more quality.

“You never like to lose and there are always negatives but they are only negatives if you don’t improve from them and understand why.

“We need to understand what happened and how we can be more competitive.”

The only positive for the Welsh side was Zan Vipotnik got off the mark for the season, having been the top-scorer in the Championship last season.

Matos added: “I think it was important for Zan to score, and hopefully there is more to come. The goals will come naturally.”