Meet the opposition | Southampton
As Swansea City prepare to take on Southampton on Saturday, we take a closer look at the Saints.
What's their story?
Formed in 1885, Southampton have spent the majority of their history in the top division of English Football, with their best league finish coming in the 1983-84 season as they finished second, just three points behind champions Liverpool.
Following relegation from the Premier League in the 2004-05 season, the Saints spent seven seasons outside of the top flight, including two years in League One, before gaining promotion back to the Premier League in 2011-12.
They spent 11 seasons in the elite division – securing Europa League qualification on two occasions and finishing as high as sixth in that time – before being relegated at the end of the 2022-23 season.
But the Saints quickly returned to the Premier League courtesy of their play-off final success over Leeds in 2024, only to be relegated once again at the end of last season.
How's their form?
Outstanding. The Saints have lost just two league games in 2026 and are unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions, a run that has taken them from the lower reaches of the table into the play-off places.
They are the division's form side since the turn of the calendar year, and they could yet force their way into the automatic promotion places over the final weeks of the season.
They also have an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to after stunning Premier League leaders Arsenal in the last eight.
Who's the gaffer?
Thirty-three year-old German Tonda Eckert is in his first senior head coach role, but has overseen a remarkable climb up the Championship table.
When Eckert initially succeeded Will Still on an interim basis, the Saints were just three points above the relegation zone. They head into this weekend three points off the automatic promotion places and as the form team in the Championship.
Eckert played football at amateur level, but always had aspirations to work on the coaching side of the game.
As early as Euro 2012 he was working as an opposition analyst for the German national team, and also fulfilled that role as they won the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
He held coaching roles in the academy systems at FC Koln, Red Bull Salzburg (where their under-18s won the Uefa Youth League), RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
Eckert stepped up to senior level when becoming Gerhard Struber's assistant at Barnsley in 2020, and in 2022 he took up a similar role at Genoa, completing his Uefa 'Pro' Licence during his time in Italy.
He joined Southampton as under-21 coach last summer, but made the step up to lead the senior side when Still departed, and few would bet against the Saints securing promotion, either automatically or through the play-offs.
Who's the captain?
Jack Stephens is club captain for the Saints. Stephens came through the ranks at Plymouth before joining the Saints academy in 2011.
He made his first-team debut against Coventry in the FA Cup in 2012 and stepped up to the first-team squad ahead of their return to the Premier League in the summer of that year.
Stephens had loan spells with Swindon, Middlesbrough and Coventry before firmly establishing himself at Saints, helping them reach the Carabao Cup final in 2017.
He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Bournemouth before signing a new contract at Saints the following summer and returning from injury to lead them to play-off final glory before again being sidelined.
Saints' longest serving player, Stephens helped the club to promotion during the 23-24 season, playing every minute of their play-off campaign.
Who are the key men?
Ryan Manning
Former Swans defender Ryan Manning has enjoyed an excellent campaign with seven goals and four assists to his name, and his attacking intent on the left flank has been a prominent feature of Southampton's season.
During the 2022-23 season, he contributed 15 goal involvements in 43 Championship games for the Swans, leading the league for assists and earning him the club’s supporters' player of the season award, before moving to Saints at the end of his contract.
Manning made more than 40 appearances in Saints' promotion-winning campaign in his debut season with the club, and finally made his Premier League debut in October 2024, aged 28.
He has been an integral part of Southampton's revival under Eckert, with his ability from dead-ball situations also catching the eye.
Shea Charles
Classy midfielder Shea Charles has had an injury-hit campaign, yet has still been among Southampton's most consistent performers.
Charles signed for the Saints in the summer of 2023 from Manchester City. His first full season in senior football saw the youngster make 38 appearances in all competitions, helping Saints bounce back to the Premier League during the 2023-24 campaign.
He then gained further experience in the Championship with a loan move to Sheffield Wednesday, racking up 44 games for the Owls, for whom he won the Player of the Year award at the end of last term.
The 22-year-old returned to St Mary's this season and has been a driving force in the centre of the park.
Leo Scienza
Brazilian winger Leo Scienza has enjoyed an outstanding first season in English football, having arrived from German club Heidenheim last summer.
Nine assists and seven goals are the headline figures, but his pace and trickery have made him a constant nuisance for opposition defences.
Starting his career in his homeland, he moved to Europe with Swedish lower-tier club Fanna BK, where his superb form helped them secure promotion to the fourth flight.
A switch to Germany with Schalke II followed, and he went on to join Magdeburg, Ulm and Heidenheim.
After keeping the latter in the Bundesliga via a key contribution in their relegation play-off, Scienza made the move to the south-coast last summer and has been a stand-out performer.